Turtle Dove
by Crimson-Eyes26
Summary: Slight AU. Following the brutal assault from Slash, Donatello is left helpless and alone until he is rescued by a stranger. After meeting this stranger, Donnie begins wondering what his place is with his brothers, how he really feels about his life, and about his true feelings towards April.
1. Strangers

**Author's Note: Hello there! Aside from working on some other stories, I had this one on my mind and I just had to do it! Now, this is sort of an AU taking place during Slash and Destroy. Now here, "Target: April O'Neil" never happened, so April is still mad at the turtles. And Donatello, after getting beat up by Slash, isn't found by his brothers. Instead, someone else finds him, and everything begins to shift from there. Please rate and review!**

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Chapter 1: Strangers

For about the third time tonight, Donatello asked himself how things could possibly get any worse.

The genius turtle felt he was staring into the eyes of the Devil himself, though he knew nothing could ever compare to the hellfire gaze of the Shredder. This…monster was close enough, however. It resembled a turtle, but it was much larger, had bluish-green skin, and spikes on its shell, arms, and head. Was this another casualty of the many fallen mutagen canisters, an accident he and his brothers created? If so, then why did it act like it knew everything there was to know about him and his family? Why did he know his name?

This was just one of the many thing that had gone wrong for him lately. The worst of everything that happened was the mutation of April's dad into a hideous bat-monstrosity. That resulted in April angrily declaring their friendship over and that she never wanted to see them again. So many weeks later and she still wasn't talking to them, and he felt it was made worse with the incident involving Timothy-Mutagen Man, as Mikey called him-going on a rampage and stalking April…because he just had to open his big mouth. Then he had to freeze his former friend as a last resort…almost as if he were cursed to lose anyone he got close to.

Other instances that occurred were Leo getting captured by Karai because of his and his brothers' rebellious attitudes, mutated squirrels almost drowning Mikey, and then Mikey almost turning into a massive pimple and exploding. Tonight just added more salt to his already-throbbing wounds. He almost blew up Spike, which caused Raph to lash out at him and take a canister of mutagen into his room for 'safe keeping'. They were suddenly on the move again to track down another canister of mutagen, and Leo seemed to be ahead of them until crashing into Raph. An argument ensued, and of course, he and Mikey were left to watch. That is…until a massive pair of clawed hands emerged from the shadows and grabbed him from behind.

Now here Donnie was…a literal wreck. Bruises and gashes covered his body, his right eye was blackened to the point of swelling, his cheek was equally swollen, and his bottom lip was split from being punched. He no longer had the energy to stand and try to defend himself; he could only lean back against a ventilation unit as this creature stared him down. In its grasp was his purple mask, as though in its sick mind it saw the cloth as a trophy. Mutagen-hued eyes stared down at his broken form and a deep, dark chuckle came out of its mouth.

"You've certainly been nothing but trouble, Donatello." The creature taunted in a gravelly voice, one that made the genius turtle swallow a lump of fear in his throat. "You're supposed to be the smart one, and yet you were stupid enough to let yourself get caught."

Silence…of course, Donnie admitted to himself he was too frightened to say anything in his defense. Fright had only partial responsibility, though. It could best be deduced that emotional turmoil mixed with the fright to create the silence and Donnie inwardly agreeing with what the monster told him.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Nothing to say in your defense?" The monster asked, his voice less taunting and more threatening. "Then say goodbye…FOREVER."

Donatello watched in terror as the creature raised his free hand and viciously grabbed him by the throat. His large clawed fingers began to squeeze around the tender skin of his neck, and he slowly began to feel his oxygen intake constricting. He gasped for any sort of air, but it became harder and harder, until he finally let out a strangled, pained cry. Of course, who would hear him? Who would even care?

It was a couple of rooftops away that a lone individual stood staring at the night sky and the stars not obscured by city smog. The melody of an M83 song echoed through a set of earbuds and they bobbed their head to the beat, long bangs smacking the skin of their cheek. The music was at a low volume so other sounds could be heard; New York wasn't exactly one of the safest places to live, after all. Thankfully, because of that, the individual was able to hear the sound of a strangled cry. Frantically turning off the iPod, the stranger, a female, rushed to the edge of the rooftop and crouched down when she was who…well, WHAT, made that sound. And here she thought the whole alien business was just the spouting of nonsense from attention-seeking lunatics.

Two…giant…humanoid…turtles. Well, one was giant, but the other was about human-sized and currently being strangled by the other.

Wait, strangled!?

One part of her screamed to get out of there and hide in her apartment before she was noticed…but another part of her told her she had to save the more-human turtle before he dies. She ended up listening to the latter, indicated when she fished in her jean pocket for the switchblade she carried on her person. As insane as it sounded, she would try to take on that monster turtle alone. She finally found the switchblade and flicked it to life, preparing to dash like a mad woman and pounce, until…

"Donnie!" A distant, rough voice called frantically.

"Bro, where are you!?" Another voice, this one energetic, called, just as frantic.

The monster turtle glanced to the side and offered a deep growl. Great…those two were in the vicinity, and if he brought on too much suspicion right now, everything would be ruined. His mutagenic gaze went back to Donatello and he offered the semi-conscious turtle a sneer. "I'll be back for you later." With that declaration, he tossed the genius turtle aside and tied his purple mask around his arm, leaping away into the night to divert the voices' attention.

Donatello managed to open his good eye and try to crawl on the rooftop to call for his brothers. He glanced around and saw two things that officially made the situation worse. The blade in his Bo staff was snapped off with a small sliver of metal remaining, and his T-Phone was completely shattered. He tried to cry out but he only let out a wheeze, his throat feeling crushed and his lungs fighting for air. He also noticed a sharp pain in his left arm, intensifying with more pressure put on it. Did he break a bone? Or maybe twisted a ligament? If he could just call for his brothers, he would be okay.

But he knew he wasn't okay, and he couldn't get off this rooftop. Donnie found himself slowly resigning to the monster returning and putting him out of his misery. His consciousness began to fade as his breathing became labored, when he heard the faint sound of footsteps. It didn't sound like his brothers' footsteps…could it be…

 _April?_

* * *

"Donnie!? Donnie, please, answer me!"

Raphael whipped his head back and forth to get a good look at every single rooftop in his field of vision. Donatello had been missing for almost an hour, and Leonardo kept steadfast in his pursuit of the mutagen, unaware of the situation unfolding. Michelangelo trailed closely behind his red-masked brother in the search for their purple-masked brother. Mikey was the first to alert Raph to their brother's absence, which occurred shortly after the appearance of the newly-mutated Spike…well, he preferred to be called 'Slash' now.

"Donnie!" Mikey called, hands cupping around his mouth to increase the volume. "Tell us where you are, D!"

Raph found it a bit odd that when Donnie disappeared, Slash was also MIA. Maybe he was just scouting ahead for the mutagen…there was no way he would try and harm his brothers! Right? It just had to be a coincidence. Then again, it was odd that Slash tried to lash out at Mikey when Raph didn't want to come with him to pursue the mutagen. What would possess his former pet to do such a thing?

Of course, they managed to jump a few more rooftops, and called out several more times for Donnie…no response. It was on one particular rooftop that Mikey noticed something strange. He walked closer to the strange sight on it, and once he got a better look at it, he visibly cringed and cried out, "Raph, get over here!"

The red masked turtle stopped dead in his tracks at his youngest brother's command. He hoped it was either Donnie or the mutagen, and not some random thing like a pizza box or a cat. Well, he knew Mikey could be serious when he wanted to be, especially if it concerned their family's safety. He raced a rooftop back and saw the orange-masked turtle staring in horror at something. Once his eyes laid on the scene, he could understand why Mikey stared at it with that expression.

The ventilation unit on this rooftop had deep slash marks on the siding, but that wasn't what horrified them the most. Over to the side lay a Bo staff with a broken blade and a shattered T-Phone, but no Donnie in sight. It only took a few seconds for Michelangelo to put two and two together and he turned to his brother.

"Raph…" The freckled turtle began. "…I think Slash hurt Donnie."

"W-What?" The hotheaded turtle sputtered, green eyes flashing towards sky blue. "No…no, that can't be right. Spike…Slash is my friend! Why would he want to hurt Donnie!?"

"Raphie…" It was rare for Mikey to give him that nickname anymore, unless he was very troubled by something. "What kind of stuff did you tell Spike…about us?"

"Mikey, what does that matter? It's not like…" That's when it hit Raphael like a truckload of sand bags. Before Spike mutated into…Slash, the red masked turtle often used him as his means of unleashing every frustration he kept bottled up. Unfortunately, almost all of those frustrations involved his brothers, particularly Leonardo. He always unloaded on his pet tortoise on how his brothers always held him back, how they always got on his last nerve…how he didn't need them. But it wasn't like he meant any of it…right? He truly didn't mean to say awful things about his brothers, but Slash didn't know that.

No…he only knew Raph's side of the story. He didn't know that half of the fights between the leader and hothead were instigated by the latter out of jealousy. He didn't know that Raph was usually the one who started the teasing until it came back on him. He didn't know that a lot of the problems weren't caused by the others' quirks, but by Raphael's own insecurities and overwhelming need to show everyone else that he wasn't fragile on the inside.

And because of his verbal backlash towards his brothers…it ended up costing him one.

The red masked turtle collapsed onto his knees, leaning forward to brush his fingertips along the Bo staff. He had to finally face the truth that Slash acted out on Raphael's harsh, momentary wishes for his brothers to just disappear. Donnie ended up being the first casualty in it, and now Leo and Mikey had big, fat targets on their shells. He flinched when he felt his youngest brother place a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. How could he be comforted when he caused his brother to possibly be dead right now?

"…It's all my fault, Mikey…" Raphael mumbled, eyes threatening to spill guilty tears. "This is all my fault…" Letting out pathetic whimpers, he began to claw at his head and face before shouting, "DONATELLO!"


	2. Awakening

**Author's Note: Surprised I have the second chapter ready this soon? I had this written for a while, so that explains it. Well, we'll be learning our stranger's identity, how Donnie feels to be somewhere other than home, and what his family does when they discover he's missing. Now I don't think the show did enough to show how Donnie was feeling, not just with April, but the other stuff that happened before "Target: April O'Neil". Well, I'm offering something on that, and it'll show up during the next few chapters. Rate and review!**

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Chapter 2: Awakening

Donatello lay motionless, consumed by a cold, black void. It took a moment for him to figure out that he wasn't really even laying, but in a form of suspended animation. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was…oh…that's right. He was attacked by that giant mutant turtle and he passed out. But he heard footsteps…saw someone's feet, or rather, shoes. It was a human…was it April?

 _"_ _Wait, you still think you have a shot with her? Wow! That is so adorable and sad! It's 'sadorable'."_

What was going on? Why was he hearing Raph's voice? That was back before he rescued Mr. O'Neil from the Kraang facility…back when April was still their friend. He remembered the look of pure joy on her face the moment she reunited with her father. So why was he remembering the bad part of that day?

 _"_ _They're aliens from another dimension, what did you expect!? A big round ball with a lit fuse that said 'bomb'!?"_

 _"_ _You know I can't be trusted with nice things!"_

 _"_ _You got beat up by a monkey? In front of your girlfriend?"_

 _"_ _Don't touch me! You keep away from me! I never want to see your faces…ever again!"_

 _"…_ _okay…"_

Donnie squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the barrage of voices that reminded him of his failures and faults. Raph constantly reminding him how he had no chance with April, Leo belittling his intelligence, Mikey blaming him for things he clearly did, April abruptly ending their friendship over her father's mutation. Wait…who did that other voice belong to?

 _"…_ _you hear me?"_

It was then the darkness started to become warmer; gradually shining a light on him. Whoever that voice belonged to, it was making an effort to get him out of this darkness. At the same time, the voices of his brothers, April, and enemies berating him began to fade into nothing more than a dull echo, garbled together into an indistinguishable mess. He began to open his eyes and allow himself to be consumed by the light. He thought the light was the light at the end of the tunnel…boy, was he wrong.

"Hey! Stay awake for me!"

Donatello snapped his good eye open at the firm command. Right then he noticed he was no longer sitting on cold asphalt and metal; now he felt leather and some cotton fabric, and his feet touched a hardwood floor. But the last time he checked, the lair didn't have any of these. His eye darted around to take in just where the heck he could be. Painted walls, a couple of tall windows, armchairs, coffee table, big screen TV…and a stranger staring straight ahead at him. He could see what looked like a young woman sporting chestnut-brown hair, a lock somewhat covering the right side of her face, bluish-green eyes, long eyelashes, and rosy lips, dressed in a black tank top and wearing mesh pants.

"Oh, thank God you're awake!" The stranger breathed out in relief. "With the amount of trauma you've experienced, you don't need to sleep until I'm sure you don't have a concussion!"

Donnie instantly began to squirm in an attempt to flee the couch and flee wherever he was, but the moment he moved he felt pain jolt through his body, especially his left arm. This seemed to alert the young woman, as she held her hands up over his shoulders to keep him from getting up.

"Easy, easy…" She attempted to calm him down. "Your arm was badly sprained. Another blow and you would have a broken bone. Fortunately, you don't have that or a dislocated shoulder." She paused as she fetched a bag and pulled out what looked like a stethoscope and a flashlight. "Boy, when I found you, you were in BAD shape."

The genius turtle at first didn't say a word, still stunned by the fact he was in a strange human's home. How did he even GET here? Wait, she said she found him. And those shoes…could that have been this girl? He clenched his teeth from another spark of pain in his head before asking weakly, "W-Where…who…who are you? W-W-Where…am I?"

The brunette perked up by his questions and offered a light laugh. "Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Cheyloe…it's a different spelling of 'Shiloh'…makes me wonder where my parents got the idea. But call me Chey for short. Do you have a name?"

"D…" He began, trying to calm himself down and find the right words. "D-Donatello…"

"Donatello? Renaissance, right? That's a very unique name." Chey replied, placing the stethoscope to his plastron. "Donatello, can you take a deep breath for me? I need to make sure your lungs are still functioning well."

As freaked out as he was right now, Donnie complied and took a deep breath in and out. He repeated the action when he felt her move the scope to another spot on his upper plastron. That apparently satisfied her when she took the scope away and looked at him in his good eye. "Lung function is normal…heart rate is normal. Well, I don't know what the normal heart rate is for a humanoid turtle, but it's not erratic. Now, let's check your pupils."

Donnie only sat frozen as Cheyloe took the flashlight and shined it in his good eye first; he wanted to snap his eye shut but made himself keep it open. It was a little harder with his blackened eye, and the girl had to practically pry it open. His pupils dilated normally, to her relief, and she showed it with a bright smile. "Pupil dilation is normal, and you're not showing delirium, so you one-hundred-percent don't have a concussion! Well, you don't have the key symptoms of one, so any dizziness is more than likely related to the pain in your body."

After her inspection, the genius turtle finally took that moment to get a better look at his body. When she said she found him in bad shape, she wasn't kidding; bandages covered his arms and legs to the point he was almost mummified. His arm was in a homemade sling, and when he touched his head, he could feel bandages there too. His fingers brushed his cheek and he flinched; it was still painfully swollen. The brunette apparently noticed this, as she dashed away before returning a moment later with an ice pack, putting it in his hand and holding it to his cheek.

"There…that should reduce the swelling." Cheyloe spoke, hands on her hips at the satisfaction of her job being completed.

"…Why?"

The brunette's smile disappeared and she tilted her head in confusion. "Hmm? Why what?"

"…Why…why are you helping me?" Donnie asked quietly, his speech a little slurred from his swollen cheek and lip. "I-In case you haven't noticed…I'm a mutant. W-Why haven't you…y'know…yelled and screamed at me…called me a freak? Aren't you afraid of me…?"

Cheyloe's mouth opened slightly at the words he used to describe himself, but not because he used the word 'mutant'. "Now why would you call yourself a freak? And why would I yell and scream at you?" She suddenly knelt in front of him and patted his knee. "For one thing, you haven't given me a reason to be afraid of you. Unlike that bigger turtle. Second of all…it's obvious you're scared of ME. If you think I'm going to report you to the government or something, scratch that thought."

Well, Donatello had to admit, he was scared. Scared that he wasn't with his family, scared that he was in a stranger's home, scared that his injuries could be permanent, scared he would be stuck here forever. Was he THAT easy to read? "S-So…you're…you're not going to get me on an examination table?"

"Of course not!" She exclaimed. "I'm too nice of a person to do that! Besides, you're too injured to be going anywhere for at least a week."

"A week?" The turtle asked in disbelief. "What am I supposed to do for a week? I have to call-" As he reached for his belt, he realized his belt was not on his body; actually, none of his gear was on. He managed to find the items laying in a chair, some of the leather sporting dried blood. Seeing it made him cringe, and just thinking about how much he bled became nauseating to him. He suddenly noticed his T-Phone wasn't in his belt, and then the memory came back. "Oh no…my T-Phone's been smashed…"

"Want me to call your family?" Chey suggested, pulling her phone off the kitchen counter after she got up.

Donatello paused and considered her offer. There were some risks if she were to call his brothers, if they survived the attack from that monster. They would possibly storm her apartment and accuse her of kidnapping him, or make some sort of big scene. It was possible their phones were smashed too. Then his mind went back to the voices he heard during his lack of consciousness. The voices of his brothers and April…all reminding him how basically everything was his fault. If his brothers saw his state, they would just mock him. If April saw his state, she would say he deserved it after what happened to her father. If Splinter saw his state, he would be ashamed. All would remind him of how low his place was in their eyes. All would remind him of how much of a failure he was not only as a ninja, but as a brother…a person.

"…No." He finally answered, putting the ice pack to his side. "…I could really use some peace and quiet…help speed up the recovery process."

Cheyloe was about to protest on it, but began to think that maybe Donatello wasn't on good terms with his family at the moment. Even though they had a right to know his location, if he wasn't comfortable with it, then she would respect his wishes. He didn't need to go back to a place that would impede his recovery. So she just placed the phone back on the kitchen counter and nodded, "All right…here, let me get you some blankets. Since you don't have a concussion, you're okay to sleep."

Donnie nodded slowly; he really felt sleepy right now, so some shut-eye really sounded great. Normally, he would be pulling an all-nighter working on something to better track the mutagen canisters…but tonight, he wanted to shut his brain off for once. For a bit…just forget about his brothers, April, Sensei, the Kraang, the Foot…he wanted to forget everything if it meant he could get a good night's rest. He put the ice pack on a nearby coffee table and watched as the brunette returned with a quilt and two pillows.

"All right, I know it's the couch, but it's comfortable to sleep on. So just as long as you don't lay on your arm, you're good." Cheyloe placed the pillows near the end of the sofa before having the turtle lay down so she could pull the quilt up to his neck. "Donatello…are you sure you don't want me to contact anybody? It's never too late to change your mind."

"…I'm positive." Donnie affirmed. "I don't…I don't really want to speak to them right now."

"Oh…well, just let me know whenever you change your mind." Chey replied, a sense of defeat in her tone of voice. "Well, I'm going to be heading for bed. Just rest up for tonight, okay? I'll check on you in the morning."

"C-Chey?" Donnie called out as he watched her head for the hallway. When she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, he swallowed a lump in his throat and quietly spoke, "Thank you…for saving me."

The brunette's eyes widened for a second, but she could feel a warm smile grace her lips as she replied, "You're very welcome, Donatello."

Once Cheyloe left, the genius turtle stared up at the ceiling and began to think. If his brothers managed to beat that thing, he wondered if they were out looking for him…if they even bothered to look for him. They were probably better off without him. He knew he was thinking that out of frustration, but he felt he was never appreciated. Not just by his brothers, but by April. April…the first human girl he ever laid eyes on…he admitted he both loved her and felt angry with her. He summed up his love to the typical first crush…he summed up his anger that she strung him along, never telling him what she wanted. Of course…he was too much of a coward to say that to her face.

Kind of pathetic when a complete stranger was a better listener than family.

Of course, he hadn't poured his heart and soul out to Cheyloe…he just met her, and he didn't fully trust her yet. Would that change? He didn't know…he would think more on it tomorrow. He REALLY desired to have some peaceful sleep for once.

* * *

"Master Splinter!"

Splinter snapped out of his meditative trance at the panicked voice of his second-oldest son. The meditation helped to alleviate any stress from the evening, especially after Raphael's outburst concerning his pet turtle. But now any stress he had before returned when he noticed the level of distress in the red-masked turtle's tone. The rat stepped out of his quarters and made his way to the central part of the lair. As his sons ran to him, it was then he noticed two things: the amount of injuries on their bodies, and…

"Where is Donatello?"

Raphael held onto a heavily-bruised Michelangelo, who had a mutagen canister in his grip, while Leonardo stepped forward and pulled something out to show their sensei. To Splinter's horror, it was their brother's Bo staff, broken blade and all. The oldest turtle placed it on the floor in front of the rat, who slowly took in the realization that his second-youngest son was gone and possibly…

"Sensei, this…this is all my fault." Raph choked out. "Spike mutated…and he went after Donnie…tried to get Leo and Mikey too. It's because I told him all the bad things about 'em. Now Donnie's gone…all 'cause I couldn't keep my mouth shut!"

Splinter watched in silence as Raphael, through strangled sobs, pulled a familiar purple mask out of his belt. The red-masked turtle managed to beat Slash and take back the precious item, but it still didn't change the fact that Donnie was nowhere to be found. The rat gently took the mask and stared at it, imagining his son out there terrified and alone, weakened and near death. He knew lately, ever since Kirby O'Neil's mutation, Donatello had been much more distant, standoffish, depressed. Now his son basically vanished, before he could have a chance to help him through his sorrows.

"My son…" The words sounded softer than what was normal for Splinter. After his moment of grieving for the disappearance, maybe even death, of his son, he breathed harshly out of his nose and furrowed his brow. "We must not rest until Donatello is home. We will begin our search before daylight…"


	3. New Surroundings

**Author's Note: Wow, I'm on a roll! Hopefully, I can keep this pace up! This chapter is mostly an explanation of Donatello taking in his new surroundings, at the same time getting to know Cheyloe a bit more. And I also decided to include April and the other turtles in this. Now April is still mad at them, but she witnesses them searching for Donnie, and this will show a little bit of how the other turtles feel about her leaving them. And Donnie is slowly opening up to Cheyloe, but will he taint her view of his family?**

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Chapter 3: New Surroundings

Donatello cracked open his eyes to find himself staring up at the ceiling and still planted on the foreign sofa. He basically summed it up that last night wasn't a dream, and he was still at Cheyloe's apartment…and still injured. Avoiding putting any pressure on his sprain, he pulled the quilt off and slowly got into a sitting position on the sofa, groaning when he felt some of his cuts sting from his skin pulling. Pain aside, he let out a low yawn and gazed groggily out one of the large windows at the city. Is this what it felt like to wake up aboveground? The only exposure to sun he got was from the dojo under the tree, the rat outbreak, and when he rescued Kirby O'Neil. Sunlight still felt weird to him…

"Well, good morning! Did you sleep well?"

Donnie turned and saw Cheyloe exiting the hall and smiling at him. He noticed she was no longer dressed in her black tank top and mesh pants; now she sported black and blue scrubs, tennis shoes, a thin coat, and a badge clipped to the front of her shirt. She also carried a purse and lunch bag on her arm. The genius turtle rubbed his eyes and got the sting and sleep out of them, plus he wanted to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"If I may ask, um, where are you heading off to?" He asked quietly.

"To work, silly!" Chey chuckled. "I work over at the local hospital. I'll be back this evening, so you'll have the place all to yourself today."

"A-All to myself?" Donnie murmured. "When will you be back?"

Chey pondered on it. "Mm, I should be home around 8:30. I'll bring home some take-out for us, so don't fill up on a lot. Anything catch your fancy?"

Donatello was hesitant to tell her what he wanted to eat; he honestly felt he would be rude to do so. Of course, it was silly for him to think that way, and he was the guest, but it still felt odd. Not wanting to make her late for work, he simply replied, "Pizza is fine…I like any topping except pineapple."

"Sounds good to me!" The brunette beamed. "If you want breakfast, I've got some stuff sitting out so you won't have to do any reaching. I've got oatmeal, microwavable breakfast sandwiches, and instant shakes, whatever you desire. Let's just say…I'm not the best cook in the world."

"Um…what should I do if someone is wanting to call or come over?" The turtle dared to question.

"Well, I'm not expecting anyone to call, and the landlord won't come over for the rent money until next week. So you should be safe." Chey explained. "The remote's on the table if you ever want to watch TV; changing the channel and programming is easy. If any emergency comes up, the hospital number is on the fridge. Just ask for the ICU and ask for Cheyloe." She headed towards the door after grabbing a set of keys. "I have to go. I'll see you tonight, Donatello, okay?"

The genius turtle nodded and watched silently as the girl exited the apartment. Great…he had this place all to himself. Normally, he would be ecstatic to have an area all to himself to do whatever he wished, but this wasn't his lab. This was a human's apartment, and he felt like if he did anything, it would be an invasion of privacy. But Cheyloe…she didn't seem to care a bit. His growling stomach interrupted his thoughts, so he pushed himself off the sofa and made his way to the kitchen area, looking at the various breakfast items to choose from.

Hmm…he always heard oatmeal was bland, but the bag said it was bananas and cream flavor. The breakfast shakes consisted of a chocolate powder you added water or milk to, and opening the freezer showed the breakfast sandwiches were Canadian bacon, egg, and cheese. Thankfully, the microwave was on the counter, so he decided to unwrap a sandwich and heat it up. As he prepped the sandwich with one hand, he glanced over the opposite side of the counter.

"Hot coffee…" He murmured, a small smile on his face. "I've been needing that…"

* * *

Down on the sidewalks, small groups of teenagers trudged their way in the direction of Roosevelt High School, ready for yet another day of boring and unappealing lectures and even more unappealing cafeteria food. As most of them talked, mostly about copying homework or wishing school would be cancelled, one stood by herself and kept her head down. Ignoring all the senseless chatter coming from her peers, April O'Neil found herself lost in her thoughts. For the past few weeks she carried on this routine, ignoring the fact that the Kraang and Foot Clan still saw her as a target. What she couldn't ignore was the fact her father was now a grotesque half-bat mutant monster, and, in her mind, it was no thanks to those stupid turtles. If she had never known them, then maybe her dad would still be with her, or maybe they would be in a Kraang facility. She didn't care; either way meant he wouldn't be what he was now.

"He has to be out here somewhere!"

The redhead stopped when she heard the faint and familiar voice. Was that…Raphael? Ignore them, April. They just bring more trouble wherever they go. Then again, she was curious as to who he meant by 'he'. A scowl set on her lips and she kept walking, but the voices got closer until they were basically right above her.

"Raph, keep it down!" Leo's voice shushed. "You'll draw too much attention! Are you blind to the amount of high schoolers walking around!?"

"Why should that matter, Leo!?" The red-masked turtle spat back. "Donnie's out there hurt and alone because of me! We have to find him and bring him home!"

It was then April gasped and placed her hand near her mouth. As much as she wanted to honestly hate them, she wouldn't wish any harm on them, and now she has to know that Donatello is for some reason gone. "…Donnie's missing?"

"Maybe we should take a risk and ask April if she's seen him…" Michelangelo suggested, his normally-upbeat tone noticeably absent.

"Forget that!" Raph growled. "If we told her, she'd say he deserved it! We'll find him just fine by ourselves!"

Now April found herself quite hurt by the temperamental turtle's statement. It made her wonder if he decided to hold a grudge against her simply out of spite. But what made it hurt more was that in the beginning, she actually did wish harm on them, just so they could know the pain she felt when she lost her father again. But even now she knew those former thoughts crossed the line, and while she still didn't want to see them again…she began to feel a twinge of guilt.

"Donnie, where are you…?"

* * *

Donnie finished up his second cup of coffee before gently placing the mug he found in the kitchen sink and letting out a small, satisfied burp. Well, breakfast proved to be tasty, though he did miss Mikey's cooking when it wasn't some strange pizza concoction. He thought about watching TV, but he actually wanted to get a good look at this apartment. He had to admit, it was a pretty upscale apartment, with the parts he had seen. So a once-over wouldn't hurt.

Besides, he REALLY had to go to the bathroom.

The genius turtle began his trek down the hall, not noticing three familiar turtles hop onto a balcony right outside the apartment. Had he reacted just a few seconds later, he would've seen them, and they would've seen him. But he went on his way and found the bathroom, relieved that it was close-by. He knew because a LADY lived here, he would have to be courteous…honestly, this was the first time he ever had to worry about lifting a toilet seat up.

With that business taken care of and his hands cleaned, he exited the bathroom and decided to go further down the hall. He noticed two doors that were closed; when he opened the first, he saw an array of makeup and jewelry and nice clothes. They weren't clothes he saw Cheyloe wear, so this wasn't her room. In the second room, his nostrils caught a very faint smell of stale cigarette smoke, and he saw some clothes on the dresser and a few cookbooks. This couldn't be her room, either. Closing that door, he went to the final room and opened it. Now THIS one screamed Cheyloe. Well, he saw her clothes from last night laying on the dresser.

He wandered to the bed, a queen bed with reddish-brown covers, and brushed his hand over it. A lot softer and fresher than the sheets he had back home; of course, it was rare for him to sleep in his own room anymore. He repressed the urge to fall asleep on the bed just to intake the scent of Gain in the sheets, but he wouldn't dare invade a bed that didn't belong to him. The genius turtle glanced at the dresser and decided to fiddle around. Just a few bottles of perfume and lotion, a small jewelry box, nothing extravagant. He opened a drawer to investigate its contents, but once he peered inside, he quickly closed it with a mad blush.

He never saw girl's underwear before, and he certainly wouldn't dare peek in that space again.

Donnie's eyes went to the wall and he saw a few framed pictures. On one side he saw a framed degree for medical science; for someone in that profession, she seemed awfully young, mostly in the face. He also saw a picture that looked more like a trophy shot of some kind of competition. Upon closer examination, it was for a 'skeet shooting' contest some years ago, and Cheyloe claimed first place. He only heard of the sport, but never understood the fun of it. Not finding anything else of interest, he decided it was a good idea to head back to the living room and maybe watch TV.

He picked up the remote flicked the flat-screen to life, instantly amazed by the quality and the channel the TV was set to. If he estimated right, this television had to have at least 500 channels! Their television maybe had about three or four, since he couldn't exactly pirate from someone's satellite or cable box. He changed the channel for a moment until he found the Science Channel. A smile of glee instantly crossed his face; he would kill to have this channel at home! Well, he wouldn't kill, per say, but it would be amazing to have documentaries to watch instead of that lame Space Heroes or that cheesy SRMFF…

* * *

"I'm home! And I come bearing sustenance!"

Donnie snorted to life, having fallen asleep on the sofa after watching a marathon of How It's Made. Instantly, the smell of pepperoni, cheese, and mushrooms hit his nostrils, and his stomach instantly groaned. He got so engrossed in the television he actually forgot lunch, so he was really hungry right now. He offered a smile to the brunette as she sat the pizza box down on the kitchen table, watching her shed her thin jacket and take off her employee badge.

"Did anything eventful happen while I was away?" Cheyloe asked.

"Oh, nothing happened." The genius turtle answered softly, fighting to keep drool from seeping from his lips. "I spent most of the day watching TV. I'm kind of envious…our TV only has just a few channels on it, and even then, I hardly get to watch what I want…"

Chey's face softened as she went to grab two plates and some sodas. "Is that so? What, do the other family members crowd you out?"

"Sort of…" Donnie sat down at the table, while inside he was surprised he was actually opening up to her about his life. He wouldn't do this for anyone, he wouldn't even do it for Timothy. But…something about her told him that he would be safe in allowing her to know about him…at least a little. Besides, it wasn't like he could talk to his brothers about anything. "When you have three brothers, you kind of have to fight for what you want."

"Whoa, you have THREE brothers?" The brunette asked in surprise. "Tell me what that's like! I've got zero brothers or sisters."

"An only child? Lucky…" Donnie didn't really mean to say it, but sometimes he did wish he were an only child. That way he didn't have to deal with teasing or ridicule or the inability to understand his interests. "Leonardo and Raphael are my older brothers, and Michelangelo is my younger brother. They can be great…but most of the time, they can be jerks…"

Cheyloe stayed quiet as she served them both a slice of pizza each and poured them some Dr. Pepper. "I've always heard that sibling relationships are difficult, but that they still love each other regardless. I mean, they still love you, right?"

Donnie bit into his pizza with his good hand and slowly nodded. "Well, yeah…I mean, don't get me wrong, they love me and I love them, too…it's just…sometimes it's hard to ignore the hurtful things they say. I don't want to go into it, but things haven't been so great lately…and I guess it kind of hampered me when that monster attacked. I guess I really AM the weakest…"

"I don't think you're weak."

The genius turtle shot his head up and stared at the brunette, who sat across from him with sympathetic eyes. He shook his head and offered a bitter chuckle. "How do you know that? No offense, but we just met last night…it's not like you know my life story."

"True, but that doesn't change my opinion." Chey retorted calmly. "If you were weak, you wouldn't have survived that beating. If you were weak, you wouldn't be here sitting across from me eating pizza and drinking soda. You showed strength by having such a strong will to live."

Donatello sat silent and digested those words. Was him surviving that assault really strength? Master Splinter would probably agree, but he wasn't so sure. He couldn't even land a hit on that thing, so how could he even call himself strong? But Cheyloe's words…they warmed him up inside. "Well, I do know one thing about you…you're a very kind person."

"Aw, thank you!" Chey giggled, stopping to wipe a drop of pizza sauce off her lip. "Listen, Donatello, you don't have to divulge your family life to me if you don't want to. Like you said, we only met last night…and I want to earn your trust first before I ask anything else about you. I won't blab anything to anyone, but I still want you to be able to have trust in me beforehand. Is that all right?"

This was certainly new. No one had ever told him to wait on telling anything else until HE could fully trust them. Usually, especially in the case of April, they demanded that he trust them when he told them something. Many people did that to each other, only to stab each other in the back with their new info when things went south. It actually surprised him that April didn't try to call the CIA on them in retaliation. But Cheyloe actually wanted to put in the effort to earn his trust, and take things slow if she wanted to befriend him. Well, he certainly did appreciate her honesty.

"That sounds like a deal." He replied, a smile on his face. "If you're willing to save me and not report me to the government, then I already trust you a little. And…you can call me Donnie."

The brunette smiled at him once again, a warm, gentle smile. "That's good to know. If you ever need anything…don't hesitate to let me know, Donnie."


	4. Heart-to-Heart

**Author's Note: Well, guess who's reunited with the turtles under different circumstances? Yep, it's April. In this, I kind of figured that Raph would be a little mad at April for all that's happened, and he accuses her of wanting Donnie hurt. Meanwhile, Donnie opens up more with Cheyloe, and he confesses his troubles with his brothers and a certain redhead. Then, Splinter attempts to find Donnie via the spiritual plane...will he be successful?**

* * *

Chapter 4: Heart-to-Heart

The lair was unusually quiet, the atmosphere as though everyone mourned someone who recently passed. Well, that was basically how Splinter and his remaining three sons felt right now. About five days passed and their searches proved fruitless; Donatello was still nowhere to be found. It was actually as though he just disappeared off the face of the Earth. They interrogated the Purple Dragons, Leo confronted Karai when he happened to see her one night, and the boys went to Murakami's to ask if their brother happened to come by…nothing. Of course, they weren't going to resort to breaking into people's homes to find Donnie, but he had to be out there!

Raphael paced uncomfortably around the living area, and Michelangelo stared blankly at the television screen; it broke two days earlier and no one attempted to fix it. After all, only Donnie knew how. Leonardo sat in somewhat of a fetal position, trying to calm his racing mind. They knew Master Splinter was in the dojo meditating, trying to find a way to come into contact with Donatello's spirit, but their hope began to dwindle away. The red-masked turtle swore revenge on Slash, though truthfully it wouldn't do any good. In fact, one night earlier, he found Slash and threatened to kill him if he didn't tell what happened to the purple-masked turtle.

According to him, he came back to look for Donnie himself, only to find him gone.

"Raph, please stop pacing…" Leo murmured, his head down. "That's not going to make Donnie magically appear."

The temperamental turtle turned sharply in the direction of his older brother. "Shut up, Leo!" He snarled and went back to pacing. "Look at the both of you…you're already giving up on him! He's not dead, he's out there somewhere! We just have to look harder!"

The blue-masked turtle stood up, glaring icy daggers at his brother. "We are NOT giving up! I just want us to play it smart! What, do you want to start breaking into apartments and asking people where Donnie is!? Just start approaching random humans like 'hey, have you seen our brother'!? Is that what you want!? To BLOW OUR COVER!?"

"Don't push me, Leonardo!" Raph snarled, placing his hand over the handle of his sai. "It's a lot better than sitting on our fat butts and doing nothing!"

"Guys, STOP IT!" Mikey cried out, clasping his hands over his head and gritting his teeth. "Fighting isn't going to fix this!"

All of them suddenly stopped when they heard footsteps approaching the turnstiles. The turtles' eyes slowly glided over to the lair entryway and saw a face they never thought they'd see again. Raphael was the first to fully turn around and face the supposed intruder into their home…and argument.

"…April?"

The redhead stared uncomfortably at her former friends before walking through the turnstiles and fully entering the lair. She heard the echoes of Leo and Raph's verbal assault, and Mikey begging for it to stop as she walked through, and she could cut the tension in the air with her tessen. "…Hey guys."

Shock fading, the red-masked turtle's lips curled into an unamused sneer. "…What do you want?"

The oldest turtle pushed his brother aside and offered a deep sigh, almost a huff of annoyance. "April, it's nice that you're back, but this isn't really a great time for a reunion. You see…"

"Donnie's missing…right?" April asked quietly, averting her eyes. "For the past couple of days, I could hear you guys on the rooftops."

Raph's eyes widened and his nostrils flared. "You KNEW we were out looking for him, and you never bothered to volunteer to LOOK FOR HIM!? What the hell's the matter with you!?" He ignored the redhead flinching and stomped towards her, his hands clenched into throbbing fists. "Is THIS what you wanted after your dad mutated, HUH!? Did you really want Donnie DEAD!?"

"Raph, stop it!" Mikey interjected, shoving his brother away from April. "If she did, she didn't mean it!" He turned his attention to April and gave her a hopeful yet terrified glance. "…Right?"

April stood frozen, not really knowing what to say to Mikey. She actually asked herself if she really meant her wish for harm on the turtles, particularly Donnie. Though they all unintentionally caused the mutation of Kirby O'Neil, April shouldered almost all the blame on Donnie, even though she knew he was her best chance of getting her dad back. It was just a moment of anger…it had to be. "Mikey…I was just mad…I never wanted you guys to get hurt…I'm sorry…"

"Save your apologies." Raph grunted, brushing past her. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going out there to search for our brother. You can come if you want, but no one's stopping me…"

* * *

"So wait, you actually have your own lab? And you managed to customize a subway car? That's incredible!"

Donatello nodded, taking another bite of macaroni and cheese. Compared to when Cheyloe first found him, he looked a thousand times better and felt a thousand times better. The bruises on his body were almost fully gone, the cuts scabbed over and started to fade, the split in his lip healed, his eye was no longer swollen, and while it still ached some, he was free of the sling that held his arm. And now he found himself enjoying a small dinner with the brunette, one that consisted of mostly instant food.

"Not only that, but I created a patrol buggy that can separate into four different buggies, and then there's the Stealth Cycle, the T-Phone, Metalhead…I mean, I could go on!" Donnie chuckled.

It still amazed him that he now felt more comfortable in Cheyloe's apartment than he did in his own home. After five days consisting of TV all to himself, healing and therapy from the girl, and meals that weren't pizza, he felt he could open up to her more and figuratively come out of his shell. If he was able to be this open with his brothers, it would have to be a miracle. Sure, he could voice most of his concerns to Sensei, but he knew the others would just listen in and then make fun of him later. But Cheyloe…a virtual stranger just days ago, sat and listened to him; she was so tuned-in to all his 'technobabble', though a few moments he could tell she was having a difficult time understanding. But…she at least made an effort to understand.

"Probably the only technological achievement I ever made was successfully changing the oil filter in my car for the first time." Chey chuckled, playing with a piece of microwave chicken breast. "You must be the handyman of the family."

Donnie's face softened and he averted his auburn eyes for a moment. "Yeah…it's a thankless job, but that's an accurate title."

The smile on the brunette's lips disappeared and she leaned closer towards him. "…Is it THAT bad?"

The genius turtle sighed and placed his fork down, staring into her blue-green irises and folding his hands in his lap. "Chey…I trust you enough now to tell you what my family life has been like lately…I guess it's always been like this, but it didn't intensify like this until, well, the day we came to the surface for the first time." He fidgeted his thumbs before deciding to explain, though not all in specific detail. "You see…you're not the first human I've met. On our first night on the surface, we met a girl…April. When I first laid eyes on her, I thought she was it…I honestly felt it was love at first sight."

"Really?" Cheyloe asked. "Well…I hate to burst your bubble, but that type of love doesn't actually pan out well. I mean, it's no offense to you, but love at first sight is a load of crock."

"…Tell me about it." The turtle agreed, his voice in a tone of resignation. "I know…all it boils down to is a silly first crush. But besides the crush thing, April's dad was kidnapped by these aliens called the Kraang. We got him back a couple of months ago, and then…"

Biting on his lip and trying to take a deep breath as he placed his hands on the table, he suddenly froze when Cheyloe placed a hand over his. He looked at her and saw her expression…so calming and so understanding. And the smile on her face told him that if he needed to cry or anything like that, she wouldn't laugh. He was able to regain his composure and keep talking.

"I don't know if you witnessed the attempted invasion…but we managed to stop it. The Kraang laid low last month, but they were back and shipping a bunch of canisters of mutagen…that's the stuff that made me, my brothers, and Sensei what we are. We got careless, and we caused the mutagen canisters to plummet over the city. April and her dad helped us track the ship, but…he wound up getting mutated."

He watched Chey's eyes widen in shock, but it was best to continue with his tale. "When April found out we were responsible, she told us she never wanted to see us again. Well, it was more directed towards me than anything. Even before then, my brothers would always tell me that my crush was all for nothing and I had no chance with her just because she's human…they were right. And it's not just been the things with Mr. O'Neil…a friend of mine also got mutated some time ago, and he's now a psychotic Popsicle. He went after April, all because I couldn't keep my idiotic mouth shut!" He placed his head in his free hand and gritted his teeth. "I didn't mean for ANY of this to happen…I didn't mean it…"

"Did you learn from it?"

The genius turtle lifted his head and expressed confusion over the question. Learn from what? Wait…did she mean if he learned from the spilled mutagen incident. He offered a slow nod and replied, "Yes…yes, of course I learned from it! I learned it wouldn't do any good to get careless again…and from Timothy, I learned that…that I can't make people like me. And to never lose hope."

"That's what I hoped to hear." Cheyloe began. "Even though it was bad you got careless and that carelessness caused the mutagen spill, you've taken responsibility for it and gained wisdom. I will say this…April had a right to be angry, but for her to shoulder the blame primarily on you sounds a lot like a cop-out. Really, all of you had equal responsibility, but at the same time, you can't predict accidents."

"But…but what if we never see her again?" Donnie asked, fighting to keep tears back. "I mean, if she wants to hate us, I can't make her come back or forgive us…"

"I don't think she hates you…she just needs time to cool off." Chey retorted gently. "She just needs to take the time and realize that, well, some things are just beyond our control. And your brothers…they shouldn't, as the old saying goes, add insult to injury. They don't understand what it means to feel heartbroken…at least that's what I'm getting."

Without warning, Donatello leaned over and buried his face into her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and breaking down into muffled sobs. Startled at first, she ended up returning the hug and rubbing circles on his shell. "It's okay, Donnie…just let it all out. Everything's going to work out for the better, okay? Just have hope, and faith."

The turtle sniffled and slowly pulled away, nodding his head and wiping at his eyes. "You…you're really wise…how did you get so good at this?"

To his surprise, the brunette offered a saddened smile. "Sometimes, it's best to talk to someone who can empathize."

He started wondering exactly what she meant by that statement. However, he didn't want to bring such an angsty atmosphere to dinner, so maybe it was time to change the subject. "So, uh, I've been meaning to ask…have you lived in New York for a long time?"

"Me? Oh no, I've only been living in New York for maybe four or five months. There was a job opening here, so I moved from my 'ol' Kentucky home' to the Big Apple. My mom and dad weren't too keen on me moving to a big city, but hey, I can't control where my work takes me. And with these mutants and weird guys clad in black, this place needs a LOT of nurses!" Chey chuckled at that last statement. "But during my free time, I like to go out on the rooftop and just gaze at the scenery and gather my thoughts…that's how I found you."

Donnie offered a nod; he remembered her telling him she found him on the rooftops. He was thankful she found him and not some mad scientist or that turtle mutant. However, as great as everything was here…he couldn't stay here forever. He had to get home once he had a clean bill of health, and he honestly didn't look forward to his family's reactions. It would be great to be reunited with them, yeah, but he didn't want to hear any lectures or criticisms. "Whenever I'm not fighting Kraang or Foot Bots, I usually stay cooped up in the lab. But when I'm out…one place I like to go to is Murakami's noodle shop."

"Wait, the noodle shop with the blind chef?" Chey questioned. "Oh man, he makes a killer tonkotsu pork ramen! I heard he started serving this weird dish involving pizza, but I haven't tried it."

"Pizza gyoza." Donnie identified for her. "That was…actually thanks to me and my brothers. We saved him one time from the Purple Dragons, and he created it as a thanks."

"Now I definitely have to try it! I may get us some after work tomorrow!" She stared at her glass and Donnie's. "Want some more soda?"

Donnie grinned and held up his glass. "Yes please!"

* * *

The faint smell of jasmine incense wafted through the air of the dojo, combining with the scent of tree leaves and bark. In the center of the room, Splinter sat in his common meditative stance. He wasn't exactly trying to calm his mind, however…he was placing himself on the spiritual plane in hopes of learning his son's fate once and for all. For the past few days, after his distress wore off, he began trying his best to contact his son, but it was almost as if Donatello was attempting to block him out.

Why? The rat kept pondering as to why Donatello possibly didn't want to be found. He didn't want to believe it was because he was already dead…but another explanation was likely. Because of his son's recent depression, especially over Timothy and April, he could be shutting him out in order to finally find some sort of peace. Splinter's mind at one point even considered the unthinkable…that his genius son wanted to end his own life. Donatello had too much to live for to do such a thing…at least that's what the rat hoped.

Taking another deep breath, he twitched his tail and began to empty his mind, allowing the blackness before the spiritual plane to take over his being. He hoped that this time, his search would bear fruit.

 _"_ _Donatello…please, my son…where are you?"_

It was then he heard…laughter? Splinter, unfortunately, couldn't see where his son was, but he recognized the laughter belonging to him. He was able to sense some sort of pain in the turtle's spirit, but it was a pain that was gradually healing. Whether it was physical or spiritual in origin was uncertain, but it was healing nonetheless. A few times, the rat felt a dip in his son's spirit, indicated when he or his brothers came up in a muffled conversation, but the rest of the time, his spirit was almost vibrant. He even sensed another spirit, this one warmer than Donatello's. Did this mean…

"…My son…is alive."


	5. The Others

**Author's Note: This chapter is just a little bit shorter, but it's no big deal. Now, Donnie has been getting comfortable staying at Cheyloe's apartment, right? Well, there's one little detail she forgot to add in: roommates. What happens when our genius turtle comes face-to-face with her two friends? Well, read and find out.**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Others

Donatello made himself comfortable on the sofa before pulling the quilt up over his plastron and adjusting one of the pillows near his head. After he and Cheyloe had dinner, she decided to pop in a movie and watch it until the both of them started feeling drowsy. Of all the movies he ever watched, "Fright Night" was on a whole new level. It didn't really scare him, but it had enough action that kept him drawn in. Now he saw Cheyloe with a toothbrush hanging from her mouth and in her pajamas, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"That movie didn't scare you, did it Donnie?" Chey asked, pulling the toothbrush from her mouth.

"No, no!" The genius turtle insisted. "I'll be all right! It's hard to scare me!"

The brunette cocked an eyebrow before smirking and laughing. "If you say so. I've got the next two days off, so that give me more time to assess your recovery. Just remember not to put too much pressure on your arm."

"I know…" Donnie yawned loudly and snuggled into the couch. "Goodnight, Chey…"

"Goodnight, Donnie…pleasant dreams." Chey stood still after entering the hallway, watching silently as the turtle began to fall asleep, his breathing steady and quiet…peaceful. It honestly warmed her heart, and it made her kind of sad that pretty soon, he would have to go back home. She truthfully enjoyed his company, and she enjoyed the conversations they struck up. Compared to that first night, Donatello really became sociable with her.

After making sure he was asleep, the brunette retreated to her own room and plopped down on her bed. Even though she had the weekend off, she had a lot to do, which included cleaning the apartment and checking Donnie's arm. But she enjoyed the past five days spent with him; maybe she could be able to go on and call him a friend. Of course, it was only if HE wanted to be friends.

There was just ONE thing she forgot to disclose to him.

* * *

It was a few hours later that the door of the apartment clicked open, the rattling of keys resounding with the slight creak in the door. Two voices were heard conversing, both female, and a few chuckles were exchanged. The voices were accompanied by the sounds of footsteps touching the hardwood floor and entering into the residence.

"Geez, could those bags under your eyes be any more obvious?" One voice, belonging to a young woman with dirty blonde hair wearing a mesh outfit, teased.

The other individual, another young woman sporting brown hair in a long ponytail, rolled her eyes. "Hey, you try going to two weddings in a row! All you had to do was go to a cooking competition!"

"Hey, I got first place, didn't I?" The dirty-blonde snorted before flicking on the light switch so their visibility could improve. "So quit…your…whining…"

"What is-" The ponytailed brunette turned towards the sofa, where her friend stared, and saw the unusual sight. What on earth…WHO on earth was THAT crashing on the sofa? The creature apparently knew the lights were turned on, and it used its arm to shield its eyes before opening them.

"W-What's…" Donatello groaned before settling his eyes on the two women he never saw before. The two women who were staring at him in horror and slowly taking in a breath and opening their mouths. "Uh…hi?"

Meanwhile, Cheyloe was fast asleep in her bed, and she began to chew on the lock of hair that usually covered her right eye. After she spit it out and stuck out her tongue, some sort of garbled noise entered her ears. Slowly opening her eyes into slits, she could make out the sounds of two females shouting and screaming, the sound of silverware hitting the floor, and then…Donnie screaming. That made her wake up and shoot out of bed, bolting out of her room and beholding what was going on.

Poor Donnie cowered behind the sofa, a few forks near his feet, nursing a spot on the upper corner of his shell. She saw the other two females armed with a skillet and a tenderizing mallet, both readying to strike at who they perceived as an intruder. They both continued to shout at the turtle until Chey decided enough was enough; she immediately stepped in front of them to shield Donnie.

"Hey, that's enough! Don't hurt him!" Chey spat. "Don't you know not to attack someone who's still recovering from injuries!?"

"Chey, WHAT the hell is that thing!?" The dirty-blonde snapped back, glaring at the turtle. "What's it doin' in our apartment!?"

"Cheyloe, you KNOW about those reports of monsters in the city!" The ponytailed brunette scolded. "Bringing one of them here is just recklessness on your part!"

"Kaitlyn! Anna! He's NOT a monster!" She fired back, grabbing the skillet and mallet from them. "And he has a name…it's Donatello!" Chey sat the items down on the counter before going to check on the turtle. She kicked the forks aside and kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his shell. "Hey…it's okay. I won't let them hurt you again. Don't be scared."

"Who…" Donnie began, terror in his voice as he glanced at the other two women. "W-Who are they?"

Chey sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner…but these are my roommates." She got up and pointed first at the ponytailed brunette. "This here is Anna…" She then pointed to the dirty-blonde. "…And this is Kaitlyn." Once those introductions were done, she gave them a glare and demanded, "Apologize to him…NOW."

Anna and Kaitlyn glanced nervously at each other until they got a better look at the mutant. When Cheyloe said he was recovering from injuries, she wasn't kidding. They could see faint, scabbed-over cuts, fading bruises, and the former knew a sprain when she saw one, even if it was almost healed. Anna placed her hand over her mouth and gasped.

"We are so sorry…aren't we, Kaitlyn?" Anna spoke before nudging Kaitlyn in the side. The dirty-blonde growled at her before looking ashamed and nodding, albeit grudgingly.

"Now that you two have apologized…I think you should still make it up to Donnie." Chey decided, lifting her fingertips to her chin. "First thing in the morning, Kaitlyn should cook him up a good breakfast, and Anna should help me do a check on his injuries. I believe that's fair enough."

Donatello offered a small chuckle; that sounded so much like Splinter. Splinter…he actually began to wonder how his father was doing with him gone. Maybe he was like everyone else and didn't notice or care…but they had to care, right? Before he could delve more into his familial insecurities, he heard Kaitlyn groan and trudge to her room, followed shortly by an embarrassed Anna. Once they retreated to their rooms, Cheyloe sighed and gave him an apologetic gaze. "Donnie, I am so sorry I didn't tell you about my roommates…and I'm sorry that they attacked you."

"…Don't sweat it." The genius turtle replied with a smile. "You've just had your mind on treating me for the past few days, and if I were human and I saw a mutant on my couch, I'd probably react the same way."

"Still…" The brunette paused before offering a sigh. "We should probably get some sleep…it's going to be a long day tomorrow, especially with the ladies back. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'll be okay." Donnie replied softly, nodding his head and yawning. "Goodnight…again."

* * *

Donatello woke up when an uncommon smell entered his nostrils. Kind of plain, mixed with a hickory-smoked scent, spices…was that eggs and bacon? He thought he even caught the smell of biscuits, too…but where was it coming from. He sat up on the couch and turned his head to the kitchen, where he saw someone hovering over the stove and flipping several pieces of bacon until the individual addressed him.

"Oh, hey." Kaitlyn greeted nonchalantly. "Chey, Sleeping Beauty's awake!"

Geez, this Kaitlyn could be the next candidate for Raph's BFF. Ignoring the comment, he got up and scratched his shell before heading to the bathroom. Before he could open the door, it swung open to reveal Anna with rollers in her hair. She yelped a bit before quickly offering an apology and getting out of his way. He felt awkward by their behavior, but then again, they hadn't been around him the same amount of time Cheyloe had. And speaking of whom…

"Oh, hey Donnie!" Chey greeted, dressed in a hoodie. "Wake up to the smell of hot breakfast?"

"You could say that." He offered in reply. "Um, listen…I'm not making your roommates uncomfortable, am I? I mean, if they need me to go outside or anything, I will…"

"No, that's not necessary!" Chey insisted, holding her hands up and wearing a worried expression. "Last night was still a shock for them, and I think they're just still feeling guilty about hurting you. But hey…don't hesitate to tell me if they say anything to you."

"I heard that!" Kaitlyn called loudly. "You're worryin' over nothin'! If you're okay with him and he hasn't hurt you, I don't have a problem wit' him! And don't get worked up 'bout Anna, she's always been kinda high-strung!"

"High-strung!?" Anna asked, coming in and placing her hands on her hips. "I am a lot of things, and high-strung is not one of them!"

Cheyloe gave them both a glare. "All right, you two, shut up and let's get to eating breakfast! We've got things to do today!" She saw them begin go towards the kitchen and suddenly halted them. "Whoa, not so fast…since Donatello is our guest, he gets to go first."

The genius turtle glanced nervously at the three young women, gulping, as he grabbed a plate and began to get his fill of food…scrambled eggs, bacon, a biscuit. Boy, it all looked delicious; much more appetizing than Mikey's concoctions. If his brothers were to see this, they would surely be jealous of him having warm, EDIBLE food, and access to all the soda he could drink. Alas, he wouldn't be having soda this morning…just orange juice, since there was no fresh coffee. He took a seat at the table and watched the ladies grab their food, Chey getting the most despite her lanky physique.

"Honestly Chey, why do you have to get that much?" Anna questioned. "It's not like you've been fasting or anything!"

"What, jealous of my great metabolism, Anna?" Cheyloe teased, sitting next to the turtle. "Come on, no need for complaining this morning! Have a positive attitude and enjoy spending time with our guest! We don't get that many visitors, you know."

"Visitor? I've been more of your patient than visitor." Donnie added in. "And, well, you've been a great doctor."

Chey almost blushed at that remark, but she quickly masked it with a huge smile. "That means a lot, Donatello…thank you. Now dig in! You're gonna love this!"

The genius turtle took her advice and stuck a fork full of scrambled eggs into his mouth. He chewed for a moment before pausing and swallowing. He stayed quiet for what seemed like a long time, but then his face broke out into a smile and he exclaimed, "Whoa, this is delicious! This is a lot better than my brother's cooking! He wants to put pizza in everything, even milkshakes!"

"Milkshakes?" Kaitlyn repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "I heard of people putting bacon and pickles into milkshakes, but pizza is new to me. And thanks…that's what I get for workin' in a ritzy restaurant!"

"Cheyloe, please tell me I won't have a bunch of appointments waiting for me over at the hospital." Anna chimed in suddenly. "I already got texts on my phone saying about three people need therapy."

"As far as I know, there haven't been any new ones." Chey shrugged. "But hey, save the worry for Monday."

As Donatello ate more of his breakfast, he caught a glance of something strange on a faraway building. Squinting his eyes, he could see a shape darting around the rooftop of the building, as if it were looking for something, before hopping towards an adjacent structure. The shape, the build, the way it was hunched over, he widened his eyes when he knew then that he recognized it.

"…Raph?"

"Hmm? Something wrong, Donnie?"

The genius turtle turned to see his friend staring at him with concern; apparently she saw him staring out the glass doors leading to the balcony. Could he tell her that he thought he saw his brother running on the rooftops…in the daylight? As much as he wanted to, at the same time, he didn't really feel like talking to his brothers yet…at least not for another day or so.

"No." He shook his head and took another bite of eggs. "Just saw a bird or something."


	6. Return

**Author's Note: Well, ladies and gentlemen, guess what? Donnie finally gets to go home! But that won't be the end of the story. No, you could say it's just beginning. When Donnie makes his return, will he still think of Cheyloe? And what will be his attitude towards his brothers, Splinter, and April? What will happen when Casey and Karai become involved? Read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 6: Return

"Flex and extend…flex and extend…does it hurt?"

Donatello obeyed Cheyloe's command, flexing and extending his left arm as he sat on the couch. He did it a third time without instruction, finding no pain shooting through like there was the first four or five days. He flexed and extended his fingers out of habit as he replied in a sure voice, "No, no pain whatsoever. The sprain's gone!"

"That's wonderful!" Cheyloe beamed as she examined his skin and the barely-noticeable scabs that were once deep scratches. "And your bruises are all gone, too. You're as good as new!"

The genius turtle got to his feet and examined his body. She was right…any signs of his injuries were all but obvious; except for a faint scar on his lip, but no one would know unless they got up in his face. He could now safely say that he was fully recovered…and truthfully, it was bittersweet. While he was happy to no longer be mummified in bandages and constantly aching, it meant he no longer needed to stay here…he had to go back home. Besides, the others were probably wondering where he was, or still out looking for him. He didn't want to keep intruding on Cheyloe's time, and he didn't want to practically hide from them anymore…

"Well…I guess now it's time to say farewell." Donnie sighed. "Cheyloe, I want to thank you again for helping me recover…and thank your roommates for, well, not going crazy on me again. I know they're not here right now, but…"

"I'll be sure to share the thanks once they get back from shopping." The brunette smiled, though her eyes indicated she was sad to see him go. "Oh, I have your gear washed. Let me go get it."

Donatello stood in silence as Cheyloe went to a laundry basket and pulled out his belt, elbow pads, and knee pads, all freshened and free of damage. He could even detect the faint scent of a Hawaiian breeze in the material. If his family ever asked about the smell, he would just say he found some soap in his 'secret hideaway' to clean with. Really, he didn't want his brothers to know about Cheyloe for a number of reasons. The biggest reason was because if he told them, they would possibly consider her a kidnapper and try to confront her, particularly Raphael. He wouldn't let them hurt her.

Sensei…he would probably let him know, but only in private. He knew it was possible his brothers would eavesdrop, unless his father told them not to, but he trusted Splinter more to keep a secret. But he wouldn't bring it up right now; maybe wait a few days until he was settled back in. He took his gear from the brunette and slowly began to slip the items on…but he still felt naked without his mask. Who knows where it went. Now dressed appropriately, he made his way to the balcony door and put his hand on the door handle.

"Well…thank you again for what you've done for me, Cheyloe." Donatello spoke, sadness in his voice. "Maybe eventually…or soon…we'll cross paths again."

"Hold up, Donnie." Chey grabbed a sticky pad off the kitchen table along with a pen and jotted something down. She tore off the sheet she used, folded it, and handed it to the turtle. "If you ever need anything at all, even if it's just someone to talk to…don't ever hesitate to look me up."

Donnie unfolded the note, and it revealed itself to be her phone number, even an email address! Once he built himself a new T-Phone, he would surely plug her number in just in case he needed anything. That also meant he would have to be more secure with it around his brothers. Offering a nod and tucking the note into his belt, he replied, "I believe I'll keep in touch."

After a moment of silence between the two, the genius turtle was the first to lean forward an initiate a hug. The brunette gladly hugged him back, patting him on the shell a few times, before they both let go. Donnie remembered from some lame play a line that fit the situation…he believe it said 'parting is such sweet sorrow'.

"Well, um…Sayonara." Donnie bid farewell, opening the door and going outside.

Chey nodded and spoke in-turn, "Sayonara."

Closing the door, Donatello sighed and stared at the buildings from the balcony. Thankfully, he remembered the way back home, and he didn't see any of his brothers in the distance or nearby. He would just sneak back into the lair and see if they noticed…probably not unless he managed to reach his lab and they look in there. Only one way to find out. Taking in a deep breath, he climbed to the rooftop of the apartment building and began hopping from rooftop to rooftop on the pathway to home…

* * *

The only activity in the lair at the moment was the television blaring the sound of the off-air signal, and it was the only source of life in the living area. Not that the turtles paid any mind; all of them were asleep in a pile on the floor. A box of half-eaten pizza lay beside them, along with a few crushed soda cans and candy wrappers. If they were awake, they would've heard someone quietly hopping over the turnstiles and tiptoeing past them towards the doors that contained the laboratory. They would have known that a missing brother finally returned.

Donatello stared at his sleeping brothers, and a smile ghosted his face as he crept towards his precious lab. It was time he got back to work on the retromutagen, now that he was better. He reached for the door and opened it as quietly as he could, despite the scraping noise it made that was enough to make him wince. Fortunately, his brothers were out like lights, so he got inside without attracting any attention. Once he got inside, he was greeted with a grim reminder…Timothy in his frozen form.

"H-Hey Timothy…I'm back." Donnie greeted, pressing his hand to the cold surface of the container. "I promise I'm going to do everything I can to heal you, okay? I'm not giving up on you."

The genius turtle took a seat at the desk and began looking for any spare mutagen he had left for testing. He got so caught up in rummaging through old chemicals he failed to notice that someone else entered the lab and walked closer to him. As Donatello grabbed some test tubes, he felt someone turn his chair around to face behind him. Before he had time to protest, a pair of familiar arms wrapped around him in a tight hug.

"Donatello…" Splinter spoke softly, not wanting to let his son go. "You…are home…"

"S-Sensei…" Donnie mumbled, startled by the hug but slowly returning it. "I…it's good to be home…"

The rat let go of his second-youngest son and stared at him with worrisome eyes, noticing his lack of a mask. "My son…I am relieved that you are still alive. But I must ask you…where have you been?"

The genius turtle swallowed a lump in his throat and glanced towards the door, hoping Leo and the others weren't awake and listening in. "I…I don't want to talk about it right now, Sensei. I'll be ready to in a few days…I mean, if that's okay."

Splinter raised an eyebrow, but he soon nodded in reply. "It is quite all right, my son. Speak to me about it when you are ready. Now…" His eyes immediately went to the door leading to the living area. "I believe you should go and share your return with your brothers."

As much as he really didn't want to, Donnie had no choice to agree. If he tried to disobey his Sensei, he figured his absence wouldn't excuse him from a round of randori. So he would have to do the 'pleasant' job of greeting his brothers. For all he knew, they would just act like his disappearance didn't even bother them. Heck, they would probably try to suggest April or that hockey punk she befriended beat him up in revenge. Gulping, he exited the lab and walked towards the turtle pile that was his brothers. He got just mere centimeters away from the pile before using his toe to nudge Mikey's arm.

"Uh…guys? I'm back…"

Michelangelo was the first to awaken with a snort, looking up to see who disturbed his slumber. When his vision cleared, he saw the maskless face of his brother he, for a while, believed to be dead. Gasping in delight and feeling tears well up in his eyes, the freckled turtle shot up, throwing his other brothers off, and wrapped Donnie in a bear-hug. "DONNIE! You're ALIVE!"

Mikey's shouting, along with being tossed off, immediately woke Leo and Raph. They were about to scold their baby brother for his incessant shouting…until they saw who he was shouting about and hugging. There he was…Donnie…alive and well. Leo was the first to follow in hugging their brother, and Raph followed after staring at him in shock.

"Donnie, you're home!" Leo rejoiced, wiping away a stray tear. "You came back!"

"Do you know how worried sick you made us!?" Raph scolded, looking as though he was about to punch his brother in the face, but his lips quivered and he went back to hugging him. "I…we thought you were dead! Where were you!?"

"You…" Donnie paused so he could find the right words; he was so overwhelmed by the emotions expressed by his brothers. Did they really miss him? Or was this just some heat of the moment thing? He hoped the former was true, but he couldn't help the doubts that clouded a corner of his mind. "You guys missed me?"

"Of course we did!" The red-masked turtle replied loudly. "If we didn't, we wouldn't have been out every day and night lookin' for you! I thought Spike did you in-"

"Whoa, wait a minute." Donatello stepped back at Raphael's statement in surprise. "So you're telling me that monster turtle that attacked me…was Spike? Way to play it safe with that mutagen, Raph."

"I know, I know…I shouldn't have taken that mutagen into my room." Raph admitted somberly. "He went after you guys because I blabbed that I didn't need you guys anymore. I was wrong, okay? Spike was a good friend, but he can't ever compare to my brothers."

Mikey wouldn't let go of Donnie, even when it started to cause discomfort. "D, we barely ate and slept worrying over you! Even April was worried about you!"

Donatello instantly froze at the mention of the redhead's name. "Wait…did you say April? But…"

"Dude, she saw how we were looking for you! Raph got kinda mad at her, but she kinda made up with us and helped us look for you!" Michelangelo explained in a rushed voice. "She's been in the dojo training with Master Splinter; I think she fell asleep in there."

Seeing the now-wary expressions on his brothers' faces, Donnie stared in the direction of the dojo. He had to mentally prepare himself for coming face-to-face once again with April O'Neil…the girl who blamed him for her father's mutation. He had some doubts whether or not she truly forgave them…forgave him. It felt kind of empty to him that it took him going missing for her to forgive him instead of just forgiving him regardless. He wouldn't know the truth until he saw her…

He hopped to the dojo entrance and, sure enough, peeked inside and saw April slumped against the tree in sleep. Her tessen was over in the corner of the room, almost as if it were thrown there in frustration. Sighing in resignation, the genius turtle walked to the tree, knelt in front of her, and shook her shoulder.

"…April?"

The redhead awoke from her slumber with a groan and prepared herself to tell the individual to go away and leave her. She opened her mouth, but her jaw slumped open when she stared into familiar auburn eyes. Her blue eyes teared up and she immediately threw her arms around Donnie in a hug.

"…I'm so sorry, Donnie!" April sobbed quietly. "I didn't mean what I said to you…"

"April…some things are just beyond our control." The genius turtle replied, quoting what Cheyloe told him. "I'm gonna do everything I can to cure your dad…I'll get him back for you…"

"…Thank you…" The redhead sniffled, hiccupping and wiping her eyes. "Just…don't disappear on us again, okay?"

Donnie actually found himself chuckling. "I don't think that'll happen anytime soon. I'm just…happy to be home."

The two of them got up in time to see the other turtles and Splinter enter the dojo, something in the rat's hand that Donatello recognized. They actually got it back…they actually got his mask back. His father stopped in front of him and held the mask out, offering a small bow. "My son…I believe you are missing this."

The genius turtle gladly took the mask from his father and began the work of tying it over his face. Now he no longer felt naked; he didn't say that to Cheyloe, though, but then again he stayed their without wearing ANY of his gear. With the knot tied and the tails resting comfortably down his shell, he finally felt whole again. With a small smile, he addressed everyone, "I missed you guys…but listen, I'd better get back to work on the retromutagen. Mr. O'Neil, Timothy, and countless other people are counting on it. But first, I need to build a new T-Phone…Spike did the honor of smashing my old one."

"We know…Raph and Mikey brought home the remains and your broken Bo staff." The blue-masked turtle admitted. "Do whatever you need to do to get acclimated to the lair again, bro."

"Thanks, Leo." The purple-masked turtle replied genuinely.

As he made his way back to the lab, Donatello, making sure no one trailed behind, discretely pulled out the folded sticky note containing Cheyloe's phone number and email address. Once he had his new T-Phone built, her number would be the first one to go in. Even with his recovery, he felt kind of odd…and he figured that even if he didn't need a shoulder to cry on, he could still chat with her once in a while. After all, she saved his life…how could he ever repay her?


	7. Private Conversations

**Author's Note: Like I said, this story isn't over...it's basically just beginning. So Donnie's bros don't really buy the story that he lost his memory for an entire week and just wandered back to the lair. Of course, he's not going to tell them the truth...but he's willing to tell Splinter the truth. How will Splinter react when he hears what really happened to Donatello? And will certain turtles eavesdrop on their conversation? Read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Private Conversations

"Come on, Donnie! Where did you go last week after Spike attacked you?"

"For the twentieth time Mikey, I don't remember! In case you didn't realize it, that monster hit me pretty hard!"

"But I wasn't there when he hurt you! You gotta remember something!"

Donatello simply rolled his eyes before reaching over his desk and grabbing a spare test tube. Honestly, why wouldn't Mikey or the others simply let this go? Weren't they happy enough with him coming back home in one piece? Of course not; they wanted to know the exact details of what happened during his week-long absence. If he disclosed it with them that would possibly result in three angry mutant turtles breaking into an innocent young woman's apartment and all Hell breaking loose from there. So to protect his friend, he would just keep up the memory loss game until they gave.

He underestimated how persistent his brothers were, though.

"Mikey, if I remembered anything, don't you think I would've told you?" Donnie groaned in exasperation. "Look, the important thing is, I'm alive and I'm back. And right now, I REALLY need to get back to work on this retromutagen!"

Michelangelo kept his blue eyes on his brother for a solid ten seconds before he quietly sighed. "Okay, bro…I'm gonna start on dinner, okay? Gonna try and make some lasagna. I'll call you when it's ready."

When the orange-masked turtle exited, Donnie thought about what his brother could possibly do to that poor lasagna. He hadn't seen her fix any, but he was pretty sure Cheyloe's roommate Kaitlyn could fix up some that would be a thousand times better. Knowing Mikey, he would probably try to shove jelly beans or chocolate chips or algae and worms into the pasta dish, which automatically made his stomach roll. What would be next? Pizza cake?

"I think I should go out and get some real food…" The purple-masked turtle grumbled, opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a box. Inside of it, unbeknownst to his brothers and Splinter, was a huge wad of cash he saved up for a long as he could remember. He especially didn't want Mikey to know about it or he would constantly hound on him for pizza money. Or Leo would take it to buy Space Heroes junk. Or Raph would take it just because. Either way, he wouldn't let them find it. He took out about twenty dollars and tucked it into his belt before closing the box and drawer. "Some pizza gyoza sounds good right now."

Donnie put up the chemicals in an area where the temperature wouldn't corrode them, then cleaned up the rest of his desk and made his way to the door of his lab. Once he stepped out, however, he suddenly found himself greeted by Splinter. "Oh, uh, hey Sensei? Is there…something I can help you with?"

"Donatello, you've been spending a lot of time in your lab." Splinter began. "About as much as when April temporarily cut ties with us. Is everything all right, my son?"

"Uh…everything's okay, Master Splinter. No need to worry!" Donnie lied, plastering on a fake smile.

The rat narrowed his eyes and his ears drooped ever so slightly. "Donatello…remember what I told you. It has been three days since your return…are you ready to tell me the truth? Or will you keep lying not only to your family, but to yourself as well?"

Donnie gave a bitter sigh and averted his eyes from his father. Did Sensei really have to make this so difficult? Then again, he did say he would talk about it when he was ready…but he had to make sure the conversation was private. He knew Mikey was in the kitchen, and he glanced over to see Leo and Raph engrossed in the television. Now was his chance. Offering a small nod of resignation, he replied quietly, "I'll talk, Sensei…but can we talk in private, please?"

Splinter nodded his head in approval. "We can…let us go into the dojo."

Donatello calmly followed his father into the dojo, making sure the door was closed and that none of his brothers caught on. He quietly walked over towards the large tree that served as a place of calming, apart from his lab, and took a seat by sitting on his knees, as usual. Splinter did the same, sitting face-to-face with his son in preparation for the conversation.

"Now, my son…please share with me what happened during the time you were missing."

The purple-masked turtle sucked in a deep breath. Calm down, Donnie…no one is listening outside…it's okay to tell Sensei. He won't go after her. Breathing out after holding it in, he cleared his throat and began to talk. "Sensei…after…Spike attacked me, I was pretty sure I was going to die. Before I lost consciousness, I saw someone approaching me. I only saw the boots, so at first, I thought it was April. But…it wasn't. I was rescued…by another human."

Splinter's eyes widened and his eyebrows raised. "…Another human?"

"Yes, Sensei, another human…a kind and compassionate human." The genius turtle clarified. "Her name is Cheyloe…she works as a nurse at a hospital. She patched me up and allowed me to stay at her home to recover. I could've been home sooner, yeah, but…"

"…But you were recovering from more than just physical wounds." Splinter finished.

Donnie moved his head in agreement. "The nights before the attack, I would always hear voices in my sleep…voices that belonged to the guys…and April. All of them would constantly berate me for my failures, and tell me what I do wrong. So, I…I couldn't go home just yet. I heard the voices again when I was unconscious…but Cheyloe's voice brought me out of it."

"This Cheyloe sounds like a very selfless person." Splinter noted. "One who is willing to look past your mutant appearance and see what is inside. My son…why do you wish to keep her existence a secret from your brothers?"

The purple-masked turtle bit his lip. "I know this is going to sound crazy and stupid, but if I told them, especially Raph, they would more than likely storm her apartment and interrogate her as to why she 'kidnapped' me. I don't want them to hurt her…"

"My son, despite how frantic your brothers have been regarding your absence…I do not believe they would lower themselves to harming innocent people…especially since this Cheyloe has in-fact saved your life." He closed his eyes and opened them, directing them to look into Donatello's eyes. "Donatello…Raphael took your absence the hardest. He feels that if he did not frequently tell Spike of your negative traits, he would not have attempted to end your lives. There was one instance…where he accused April of wanting you to be injured."

"He…what!?" Donnie asked in pure disbelief. "I knew Mikey told me Raph yelled at her, but I never thought he would say anything like THAT!"

"His emotions got the better of him, but April already held onto her own guilt. She blamed herself for your emotional state…she even admitted that at one time, she wished you harm. But now, she is making amends, as you know." Splinter got to his feet and kept staring at this son. "If you are comfortable, Donatello, and you believe her to be trustworthy…please allow me to speak with Cheyloe…so I can thank her for saving your life."

"S-Sensei…" Donnie stuttered, his eyes becoming watery at that remark. "You…you really mean that?"

The rat nodded warmly. "Yes, my son."

Donatello couldn't help himself as he got up and gave his father a hug. Splinter gladly returned it, relieved that he could see a more positive change in his son's spirit now that he voiced his concerns. Of course, at the same time, he could sense that, more than likely, they weren't alone…

* * *

"Donnie…he was with a HUMAN?" Leonardo asked in a hushed voice. "A human that WASN'T April?"

Raphael stared at the dojo door in shock before hopping back over the water and going to the couch. "I can't believe this! I mean…I knew he was lying when he said he didn't remember anything, but he was with some random human!? Why didn't he want to tell us!?"

"Didn't you hear him?" Michelangelo questioned softly, his eyes looking forlorn. "He thinks we would go after her and accuse her of taking him…"

At that remark, Raph unclenched his fists and Leo stared guiltily at the ground. In a way, Donnie had a right to think that. They weren't exactly very trustworthy with humans after the incidents of Karai's double-crossing, Timothy getting mutated, and April ditching them. Of course, what started it all was the infamous Chris Bradford incident. And concerning their behavior while Donnie was gone, they were at the point of almost jumping at random humans and demanding to know where their brother was. Well, Raph primarily, but they were all still guilty of thinking it. No wonder Donnie wanted to keep this mystery girl a secret.

"So…should we tell Donnie that we listened in and know about this Cheyloe person?" The orange-masked turtle suggested out-of-the-blue.

"No…that would just make Donnie mad and have less trust in us." Leo admitted. "He didn't want us listening in; that's why he only wanted to tell Sensei. We'll just keep it to ourselves for now…but…"

"But what?" Raph asked, crossing his arms.

The blue-masked turtle sat down and stared at the television. "I'm with Sensei…I want to find this Cheyloe and thank her for helping Donnie…though we should wait until he's ready for us to do so. We don't want him to not trust us ever again."

The red-masked turtle wanted to argue with that and just tell Donnie the truth, but he knew that, in a way, he was still recovering mentally from all of this. And to flat-out tell him that they listened in on a PRIVATE conversation would just steal the trust he had in them. Given enough time, he would come around and tell them the whole story…so they would just pretend that they didn't hear a thing.

"…I agree." He finally spoke. "Let's just wait for him to bring her to us…"

* * *

Just as he predicted, the lasagna ended up being less-than-appetizing. Not really because Mikey decided to add Mentos to it, but because he let it sit in the oven too long and resulted in it burning. Donnie ended up being the first to volunteer to go get some pizza gyoza. Anything to get the smell of that food out of his nose. They were kind of surprised that he was the one to offer to get some; usually that would come out of Mikey. But he had another reason for wanting to be the one to go get the meal.

Now standing on a random rooftop and holding a large bowl with a heaping amount of pot stickers, Donatello glanced around until he saw what he was looking for. In the distance, approximately two blocks away, was an upscale apartment building, with a ground floor and four apartment floors. He spotted a balcony on the top floor and knew this was where he had to go…well, he had to make sure it was the right balcony.

Making sure the pot stickers were secure in his arm, he jumped the rooftops leading to the building. It was a good thing he told Murakami-san to make extras; he just explained to the chef that he had someone he wanted to surprise. Right now would be the time she would be home, but he would just be quick so his brothers didn't become suspicious. When he couldn't exactly reach the rooftop of the building once he got to it, he saw a fire escape and jumped to it. He carefully climbed it until he reached what would be the fourth apartment floor. He hopped onto the balcony and looked inside the window.

He recognized the kitchen and living room…good, he was at the right place. He opened the container and pulled out a smaller, separate dish containing about six gyoza; two each for all three of them. The genius turtle took a deep breath before knocking on the glass door and waiting for a response. Sure enough, after a moment, there appeared Cheyloe exiting the hallway and walking to the door.

"Donnie?" The brunette asked, opening the door. "Hey, what's going on? Still feeling all right?"

"Oh, I'm all right." Donnie replied, wearing a shy smile. "Listen, you know how you told me you've been to Murakami's but never tried pizza gyoza? Well…" He presented her with the small container. "Two for you, and two each for Anna and Kaitlyn. You know, since you've never tried them before."

Chey instantly smiled and took the dish. "Aww, thank you Donnie! That's so sweet!" She opened it up and sniffed it before picking one up. "Still warm…might as well try one!" She popped the pot sticker into her mouth and chewed, staying quiet as she took in the taste, before swallowing the morsel. "Whoa…that…was…delicious! You're seriously going to have to keep me from devouring Anna and Kaitlyn's!"

The purple-masked turtle instantly laughed. "Good, right? Well, Mikey didn't do so well with his attempt at lasagna, so I offered to go buy dinner. But, I thought about you and figured I'd bring you some as a treat…and a thanks."

"Donnie, no thanks are necessary." Chey insisted, wearing her signature warm smile. "I was just doing the right thing…well, what my heart told me to do."

"Well, the thing is…I told Master Splinter about you." Donatello admitted. "I told him what you did for me and, if it's okay, he wants to meet you sometime so he can thank you as well."

The brunette instantly blushed and held her hand to her mouth. "O-Oh, is that right? Wow…he wants to thank me? I guess I could find a time to come over-"

"Actually…if it's okay, I'll bring him here." Donnie offered. "I told him…but not my brothers. I-I mean, they got so frantic while I was gone I'm afraid if I told them about you, they'd accuse you of kidnapping me…a-and I didn't want them to hurt you."

"Donnie, I haven't met them, but I don't think they would go that far." Cheyloe replied, wearing a lop-sided smile. "You don't have to worry…but I can tell you're really concerned about it. Just talk to them about me when you're ready, okay? I'm sure they'll understand. I mean, they wouldn't attack innocent people, right?"

Donatello paused before shaking his head. "No…they're not like that." He looked up and offered his own smile in turn. "You should take up a job as a motivational speaker…you're really good at this."

Cheyloe just laughed. "You really think so? I don't know…I may consider your offer."

Donnie chuckled before noticing the clock on his T-Phone. "I'd better get home before dinner gets cold. Uh…talk to you soon?"

"Yeah, better not starve your brothers." Chey joked. "Yeah, call me anytime if you need anything. Goodnight, Donnie!"

"Goodnight, Cheyloe." Donatello bid farewell before hopping down onto the fire escape, making sure not to forget the gyoza meant for him and his family. Well, he still wouldn't tell his brothers about her right away…but if he gave it enough time, he would feel comfortable with coming clean to them. But then…he wondered how April would react when he told her about Chey. Would she be relieved…or would she show signs of jealousy? He really didn't want to think about it…


	8. Flawed

**Author's Note: Kind of behind on this, aren't I? Well, this chapter is finally done! This chapter doesn't so much as introduce Casey Jones as it does tell about Donnie's feeling concerning Casey Jones, along with his feelings towards April beginning to change. When he runs into Cheyloe again, what does he tell her concerning April and Casey? I'll give you a little spoiler for the next chapter...Donnie's bros finally see what Cheyloe looks like! Rate and review!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Flawed

"Great…you know what this means, right? Now we have TWO RAPHAELS!"

It was an understatement to say that one of Donatello's nightmares had finally come to fruition. Calling it a nightmare would seem overdramatic to most, but there was a good reason why he used that terminology for this new situation. Everything started out somewhat-normal that night; another training session and another instance of Raphael losing his temper against Leonardo. Then Raph decided to pitch a little temper tantrum and go sulk on the surface. Of course he came back and attempted to apologize to Leo.

He would give credit where credit was due; Leo was goading him into losing his temper again. Donnie wouldn't outright say it, but a lot of his red-masked brother's outbursts wouldn't happen if he and the others didn't egg him on, particularly Leo. While Raph could be, more or less, a bully at times, he also couldn't help that he felt emotions on a higher level than others. So certain things…and certain people, pushed his buttons. But more to the point, after Raph came back, they soon realized he didn't come back alone.

There he appeared…it was that punkish kid hanging with April that night Timothy, or as Mikey called him, Mutagen Man, attacked. The guy sitting next to her on the swings and using his thumb to scrub something off her freckled cheek. What was his name again? Oh yeah…now he remembered…

Casey Jones.

Shortly after this Casey Jones appeared in their lair, they were all ambushed by a horde of Foot Bots. The first time they fought those mechanical pains in the shell were when Karai was once again looking for revenge for him and his brothers betraying her trust. Come to think of it, Leo started acting sort of aloof about her after he was rescued and talked to Splinter about her. What they spoke about, he didn't know. But to the genius turtle's horror, one of the Foot Bots scanned the lair location and fled. Who decided to go after it? Raph and the hockey freak, of course.

After what seemed like forever, they came back, and the last of the Foot Bots in the lair were now piles of scrap metal. But seeing Raphael getting chummy with Casey Jones wasn't the worst part. What was the worst part? Now he had to be friends with the guy who was his competition for the feelings of April O'Neil. And Donnie…instantly figured he had no chance now.

"Stupid Raph…had to lead the stupid cave-mouth right to the lair, along with the Foot Bots!" The purple-masked turtle grumbled as he dismantled a Foot Bot and took out some of the endoskeleton. "All because he had to have another one of his idiotic temper tantrums! Now we've got that sweat-drenched, graffiti-crazy, smooth-operating Casey Jones hanging around like he owns the place!"

Without realizing it, he slammed some of the pieces down on his desk and caused them to scatter. Hissing and then groaning, he began the painstaking work of picking up the pieces littering the floor and his desk. Donnie got so caught up in cleaning the mess he didn't notice the door open. But once he heard footsteps, he instantly rolled his eyes. "Mikey, if you're going to convince me to build that boomerang-"

"Donnie?"

Donatello instantly whipped his head up at the voice that wasn't Mikey's. "A-April? Oh, um, what can I do for you?"

April stepped to the desk and noticed the scattered pieces of Foot Bot scraps. She proceeded to kneel over and help the genius turtle gather them up. "Have you gotten acquainted with Casey yet?"

Donnie instantly tensed at the mention of the boy's name, yet he put on a forced smile to meet her hopeful one. "Not yet…just, uh, trying to sort through these Foot Bots and get a better understanding of how they're made."

It became apparent to him that the redhead didn't buy his claim. "Donnie, is everything okay? Ever since I introduced you guys to Casey, you've been avoiding him like he has the plague. He didn't say anything to you, did he?"

The genius turtle shook his head, maybe a little too quickly. "No, no! Everything's fine!" He glanced away for a moment and his forced smile morphed into a discrete sneer. "Everything's just PEACHY…"

"Donnie…I know Casey is a lot like Raph, and I know you and Raph don't get along much, but…please try to make friends with him." April insisted, looking the turtle in the eyes once he turned back to her. "He's my friend, and I want him to be your friend, too…"

Donatello narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze from the redhead. Even though she'd been his and his brothers' friend for about a year now…she still didn't get it. April acted as though if she pleaded with him and batted her eyelashes enough he would be all peachy-keen with the puck-head. Boy, that would be some fantasy…but this was no fantasy. As much as he liked April, there were some things he had to say no to.

"April…I can try, but the chances of me being friends with that guy are slim to none." Donatello confessed, his eyes still narrowed. "And it's not just because he's another Raph."

April tilted her head and frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Donnie opened his mouth to reply, but closed it quickly and shook his head. What was he supposed to say? Could he really just say 'because I like you and he's trying to steal you away'? No, that would just seem creepy and downright rude…then again, he began to figure the chances of him making friends with Casey Jones were higher than the chances of him having a romantic relationship with April O'Neil. So he simply resigned himself and replied, "…Nothing. I'm…going out for some air."

April held her hand up to stop him, but to her surprise he paid no heed. She had to admit, ever since Donnie returned from wherever he was, he'd been acting strange…almost distant and mostly secretive. If he truly didn't remember where he was for a whole week, why would he be so desperate to hide something? She wanted to talk to him, but she figured she would get more silence. Unless…

* * *

Quiet…peace and quiet. Donatello sighed and looked over the cityscape, absentmindedly playing with the tails on his mask. No Raph pummeling the punching bag, no Mikey yacking on about some random piece of nonsense, no Leo fanboying over Space Heroes, and certainly no Casey Jones swaggering around the lair like he was king. Just himself and his thoughts and the silence of the night. And also no April trying to pester him to make friends with someone he didn't want to be friends with.

Really, he wanted to tell April the truth, he really did. But ever since that day when her dad got mutated and she told them she didn't want to see them ever again…he couldn't help but still feel hurt about it. Especially since it took him going missing and being presumed dead for her to forgive them. Why couldn't she have just forgiven them regardless? She really had to have a reason to forgive them? It just made her apology feel half-hearted… It had to be bad when he couldn't even trust April enough to tell her that he was recovering at another human's home.

"Come on, be a good girl and fork over the purse."

Donnie's eyes darted from the sea of building and towards the street leading towards a dead-end alley. That sounded like…oh no, what were the Purple Dragons up to? When the guy said 'girl', he immediately knew they were getting ready to mug a woman. He reached for his T-Phone but stopped halfway. If he had to call his brothers every time there was trouble, they would get the idea that he couldn't handle anything without them. If he did that…he would always be the weak one.

Well, not tonight.

Pulling out his Bo staff, the purple-masked turtle growled and bolted for the source of the voices. He would show his brothers…he would show April…he would show EVERYBODY that he wasn't the weakest link in his family. Hamato Donatello could handle this easily…and then he heard another voice. A very familiar voice…

"What, you think I'm just going to fork over my hard-earned money to you pathetic excuses for human beings? Get a job like everyone else!"

"…Cheyloe?" Donnie mouthed, finally reaching the alley opening and confirming his suspicion.

There she was, dressed in her jacket and scrubs, and surrounded by the Purple Dragons. But she didn't look scared; she actually looked more annoyed than afraid. One of those dirt bags pulled a knife from his back pocket and began to point it at her, and her eyes instantly widened. Instead of trying to run, the brunette narrowed her eyes and instinctively clutched her purse closer to her side.

Donnie honestly didn't know if she could defend herself or not, but he wasn't going to take any chances. As soon as the knife-wielding Dragon charged for her and tried to cut her, he leapt down from the rooftop and slammed the end of his Bo staff into his cranium. The thug dropped to the ground, catching the others and Cheyloe off-guard.

"Donnie!?" The brunette gasped, taking a step back.

"Wait, the turtle knows this lady?" The leader, Fong, questioned, looking back and forth at Donatello and Chey. "We oughta let Xever know!"

The genius turtle's eyes shot open wide at the mention of Xever, who he also knew as Fishface. If Fishface knew of her existence, then that would lead to Shredder knowing of her existence…and then he would end up using her as a bargaining chip against him. He couldn't let that happen! He whacked Fong behind the knees and brought him to the ground before grabbing him by the edge of his vest and pulling him up to his face.

"You're not gonna say ANYTHING about her to ANYBODY!" Donnie roared, shaking Fong a few times to drive the point home. "If you so much as BREATHE a word about her to Shredder's goons, I'm gonna slam you on my lab table and turn you inside-out! Do I make myself clear!?"

As Donnie went on with his threat, he failed to notice the last-standing Purple Dragon, Sid, coming up behind him with a bat and getting ready to hit him square on the shell. As the thug raised the weapon and prepared to hit his enemy, he felt a fist go straight into his gut and an elbow go into his jaw. Donnie diverted his attention from Fong, who proceeded to run away, when he saw Sid drop, suspecting his brothers followed him and felt they had to 'rescue' him. Instead…

"…Chey?"

Cheyloe panted, glaring down at the thug and keeping her hand clenched into a fist. She suddenly looked up and saw Donnie staring at her incredulously, and she snapped out of her defensive stance. It was then she heard police sirens in the distance, causing her to take the turtle by the hand and shout, "Come on, before they get back up!"

* * *

"I, uh…I want to apologize for that little outburst back there." Donatello stated, looking shamefully over his cup of coffee. "I didn't think I would get that worked up…"

"Don't worry about it." Cheyloe insisted, waving her hand and smiling. "So, who exactly is this Xever guy that thug mentioned?"

Donnie scratched the back of his neck and stared at her with a hint of sadness. "Xever's technically the one in charge of the Purple Dragons, but he doesn't hang with them often. He was a human, but he mutated into a fish, so we tend to call him Fishface." He paused and offered a nervous laugh. "Mikey's the one who comes up with names for the bad guys. A-Anyway, I was amazed at how you brought that Dragon down!"

Chey gave a small shrug. "I studied some martial arts; really comes in handy! But I was blown away by your staff skills."

"I'm glad you didn't call it a stick." The turtle chuckled, but his smile faded and he just stared somberly at his reflection in the liquid caffeine. Once again, he found himself sitting at Cheyloe's kitchen table, sharing a drink with her and talking. For a moment, he honestly felt happier here than he did his own home. He would always love his family and April…but they just didn't get him.

"…Are you okay, Donnie?" The brunette asked, catching onto the quiet.

The turtle sighed and wrapped his hands around the coffee cup before taking a small sip. "Well…since I got back, it's been a little hectic. We've now got a new friend, if he can be called that…Casey Jones." His lips suddenly curled into a sneer. "He's this crazed vigilante kid who thinks he's all that! He's just another Raph, that's what he is! Acts like he's better than everybody else and thinks he's the biggest flirt…"

"Biggest flirt?" Chey asked in confusion. "Does this have something to do with April? Is she back?"

Donnie nodded slowly. "Yeah…she forgave us…but now she wants me to be friends with Casey, and I don't want to! At least…not unless he decides to change that attitude of his. But…but it's like April doesn't get that! I mean…don't get me wrong, April is a good friend, and our greatest ally…but…I guess I didn't want to realize before that she's flawed."

"There's nothing wrong with being flawed." The brunette spoke. "It just proves that you're a person. I'm flawed, you're flawed, and April and your brothers are flawed. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea to dump everything negative about April at me…or I might form a not-so-great first impression of her."

"…I know." The purple-masked turtle nodded. "Her heart's in the right place…but why can't she get that I don't have to be friends with Casey Jones if I don't want to? Sure, the others act like they get along with him." He suddenly paused and traced his fingertip over the lip of the cup. "…Maybe that's more proof that I'm the oddball of the bunch."

"Donnie…" Cheyloe frowned, her eyes radiating worry, before she reached over and patted the top of his hand. "I don't think you're an oddball…in fact…I think you're more of a sweetheart."

At that moment, Donatello blushed, but a smile slowly formed on his face. After having to endure names such as 'Brainiac', 'Freak', 'Mutant', and even 'Sadorable', he had to admit, 'sweetheart' actually sounded nice. Actually, it kind of warmed him up on the inside, more than the coffee he was drinking. He knew that sounded so cliché in his head, but he didn't care. All he knew right now was that he was glad he met and befriended Cheyloe.

"…I think the same can be said of you." Donnie replied, flashing the gap in his teeth when he smiled. "In fact, I think you're the embodiment of a sweetheart."

The brunette chuckled and placed her other hand over her lips, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. "Thanks, Donnie. And if that hockey kid gives you trouble, send him over to meet me...I'll give him the lecture of a lifetime and a smack on the head."


	9. I Spy

**Author's Note: Well, now I've included what's happened from "The Kraang Conspiracy" and "Fungus Humongous", and how they both play into Donnie isolating himself more and more from his family. Why is he doing so? Well, because of it, he's turning to Cheyloe even more. What happens when April learns more about his secret and his brothers get a good look at his 'secret' friend? Rate and review!**

* * *

Chapter 9: I Spy

 _"_ _Don't touch me! Keep away from me! Mutant! Weirdo!"_

 _Donatello stood paralyzed at the familiar-yet-demonic voice, now finding himself in a dark void and a cloud of pale-red mist. Oh no…no, not this again! This couldn't be happening again! He looked around furiously for any signs of mutant mushrooms…but instead he saw a large figure towering over him…the large figure being April. But she didn't look like the April he knew; her eyes glowed in a bloody light, her fingernails were instead claws, and her teeth almost like needles._

 _"_ _No…no, this isn't real!" Donnie sputtered, forcing himself to finally move and back away. "You're not real…you're not April!"_

 _The demon April leaned forward and bared her needle fangs. "You mutant, three-fingered FREAK! I HATE YOU! You mutated my FATHER! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"_

 _The purple-masked turtle desperately tried to make a run for it, but the demon April swiftly grabbed him and began to squeeze him. He offered up a cry of pain, feeling his plastron and shell creak and begin to crack._

 _"_ _Make all the noise you want! That bleeding-heart BITCH can't help you now!" The demoness goaded. "After I'm done with you, SHE'S NEXT!"_

"NO!"

Donatello shot up and began to pant feverishly, looking around and realizing he was in his room. He saw his masked draped over a nearby desk and a book on the floor, but no signs of a black void or red mist…or the demon version of April. As he steadied his breathing, he pulled his knees to his plastron and draped his arms over them. Honestly, this was the second time he had this nightmare, ever since he and the guys found out April was actually a half-Kraang mutant and when they confronted that fungus mutant in the deeper part of the sewers.

The demon April wasn't new to him; that was what he saw when he confronted his greatest fear. Really, he wasn't exactly afraid of the redhead rejecting him…but she was a way to show his fear of rejection altogether. He hated the very word…rejection. Reject. The genius turtle wouldn't say it to anyone, but he always felt he was nothing more than a reject. He knew, or at least repeated to himself, that he would never be accepted by society…or his brothers…or April.

What was different this time was that Cheyloe was never mentioned until the nightmares started. And the way the demon April spoke about her, the names she called her…what caused that to occur? April didn't even KNOW about her, so why would that occur in his dreams? With a groan, he rested his forehead on his arms and closed his eyes. He just had too much on his mind as of late…curing Mr. O'Neil, finding out April was a mutant, Casey Jones coming into the picture. Even though April wasn't one-hundred-percent human, she still had all the looks of one.

Him? He would always look like a giant, talking turtle. So what was the point of crushing on her anymore? After all, even though she said she was sorry, that would never take back the painful words she spoke to him that night. It would never take back the guilt he felt for all the things that happened…all the things HE caused. Donnie could help but feel a tear streak down his beak and onto the bed sheets.

Who could ever love a reject like him?

* * *

"Have you guys noticed that Donnie's been spending less time in the lair? Or with us, for that matter?"

Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Casey turned their full attention to April when she spoke that statement. Their eyes suddenly darted to the sealed lab and a few faint noises inside, indicative of Donatello working on something. Lately, that became a rarity, as the purple-masked turtle either sat in the lab staring into a void, or spent time outside the lair doing who knows what. The other turtles had an idea where he was going, but they kept it to themselves; April and Casey weren't aware they weren't Donnie's only human acquaintances.

"April, I think that attack on him really shook him up." Leo began, trying to find a feasible excuse for his brother's behavior. "It could even be stress from all the mutations that occurred since the canister spill…just give him some time to improve."

"But he's been like this for the past few weeks!" The redhead countered, sitting up. "He barely even talks to me anymore…and he always acts like he's hiding something! Don't you think we need to do something about it?"

Raph grunted and crossed his arms, staring at the television. "April, it's not something you can fix in a day. If it makes Donnie feel better to be alone, then let him be alone. Besides…he's able to concentrate more on his work when he's alone."

"Dudes, I can't hear!" Mikey shushed. "This episode of Super Robot Mecha Force Five has a new character in it! I wanna see who it is!"

 _"_ _Is that the mystery friend Dr. Blip's been trying to hide from us?" Princess gasped, noticing a girl with orange hair in a purple uniform._

 _"_ _State your name and your business with Dr. Blip, ma'am!" Captain Dash Coolstar demanded. "Are you another Mecha Pilot?"_

 _The girl making conversation with Dr. Blip suddenly stopped and saluted Dash. "My apologies! Commander Blaze reporting for duty, sir! I was the one who helped Dr. Blip recover from his injuries, sir!"_

"Whoa, she looks pretty cool!" The orange-banded turtle gushed. "And is it me, or does Princess look a little jealous of her?"

Leo and Raph gave each other a slightly-uncomfortable glance. Whenever they watched an episode of this show, they noticed it was usually a prelude to things that were about to happen to them…and the appearance of this Commander Blaze character was more than likely a symbol of if, or when, they met this Cheyloe person. And if the Princess got jealous…what would April do? They stopped their staring at each other and silent conversation when they heard the red-masked turtle's stomach growl.

"Sheesh, is it lunchtime already?" Raph asked in annoyance before getting up. "All right, why don't we all eat while we watch this?"

"Yeah, I could use some grub, too." Casey agreed. "Is there any leftover pizza?"

The others got up and decided to follow suit in finding something edible in the kitchen…well, except for April. Her eyes stayed glued to the lab doors, as if she tried to see through them and find out what Donnie was doing. If she could just talk to him and find out what was wrong… Wait…there was one thing she could try.

Since she discovered she in-fact had psychic powers, and was actually half-Kraang, she'd been doing her best to hone her abilities. It didn't mean she could lift a glass off the table with her mind yet, but she recently discovered she had something better for the time being…reading minds. However, her moral compass told her that reading Donatello's mind without him knowing would definitely shatter the trust he had in her…if he found out, that is. In her mind, as the old saying went, what he doesn't know won't kill him. So she took a deep breath and pressed her fingertips to her temples, closing her eyes as she still faced the lab doors.

At first, nothing whatsoever happened. She could've given up right then, but she suddenly found herself pulled into what felt like a rip in space. She skimmed over a few things that didn't catch her interest; mostly formulas and tidbits of information. A few things made her pause, particularly when she scanned his emotions…he was feeling a lot of pressure, and 'a lot' was truthfully an understatement. Finally, she found it…his memories.

A few played in front of her, starting with the day Donnie first laid eyes on her; wait, did he LIKE her THAT much? Then came Metalhead's creation, the first fight with the Shredder, that Timothy boy's mutation into a blob…the night her dad mutated and she yelled at him. But then she saw memories unfamiliar to her…the first being of Donnie continuously pounded on by a giant turtle monster; was that really Spike as a mutant? And then Donnie woke up…and April found herself staring into the face of a brunette young woman. The rest of the memories seemed to center around the mystery girl, all having Donnie seemingly cheerful…and that was all April needed to know.

"…That's why Donnie's been gone." The redhead breathed out, opening her eyes and pulling her hands away from her head. "Who is she?"

"April?"

April turned away from the lab doors and saw Mikey staring at her, a plate of pizza in his hands. To her surprise, his expression was one that asked her why she did something she shouldn't have. She opened her mouth to reply, but the freckled turtle stopped her when he sat down next to her. "…How do you know about her?"

"You guys know, too?" She quietly asked in disbelief. "How do YOU know about her?"

Mikey visibly squirmed where he sat. "Well, he had a private talk with Master Splinter, and we…well, we listened in. April…did you read Donnie's mind or something? Does Donnie know you can do that?"

"…No, he doesn't." April finally admitted, staring down at the floor in guilt before looking back at the orange-masked turtle. "Mikey, please don't tell Donnie I read his mind…if he knew…"

"April, you read Donnie's mind!?"

April and Michelangelo turned to see Raphael, Leonardo, and Casey, all staring at her in disbelief and shock. The redhead nervously brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear; it was a habit she developed years ago. The red-masked turtle was the first to sit down in front of her and stare her down. "April, what did you see?"

* * *

"It's melting…everything okay?"

Donatello happened to look at his hand and see that the orange 'n' cream bar he didn't even bite into was starting to ooze onto his knuckles. He and Cheyloe once again met up with each other, and she bought them a cold treat to munch on while they spoke, along with hot coffees. But Donnie found himself letting his ice cream melt and letting his drink get cold, which brought on the concerns of the young woman next to him.

"Sorry…" He apologized. "I just…I've just had a lot on my mind lately. Things have been…really stressful lately."

"Is it concerning that retromutagen stuff you told me about?" The brunette questioned, leaning over to look at his face.

Donnie shook his head, finally biting a chunk out of the ice cream bar. "No, not really… Things haven't been going so great at home. I mean…my family hasn't said anything to me…but I've still been alienating them." He paused and stared out at the few stars he could make out. "We recently found out that April isn't fully human…she's half-alien. And after that, we had to face this mutant fungus that showed us our greatest fears. Mine…well…"

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder and looked to see Cheyloe offer a comforting smile…something he found himself liking. And those eyes…he could feel warmth radiating from them, too. He didn't interrupt her when she spoke, "You can tell me, Donnie…I'll listen."

Sighing, the genius turtle placed his head in his hand and continued, "My greatest fear took on a monster form of April, and it kept screaming at me that I was a freak…weirdo…how she never wanted to see me again. But…it's not really that I'm afraid April will hate me…she was just a convenient representation of my fear. I'm really…really afraid of being hated and rejected in general."

Chey's eyes and expression softened at his revelation. "Donnie…why would anybody want to hate you?

"It just gets worse…" Donnie interrupted. "Sure, Leo beat the fungus, but…but now it's leaked into my nightmares. I-It's been the same for the past few nights. I would be in a void, surrounded by red mist…t-then the monster April would show up…shout the same things to me…then pick me up and start crushing me. And then…then…she says after she's done with me…she'll come after YOU…s-she even called you a 'bleeding-heart bitch'." He paused to rub his eyes. "S-Sorry for the language…"

"Oh, Donnie…" The brunette responded weakly before pulling him into a side-hug. "Donnie…I'm so sorry you've experienced that…if I had known, I would've come to help you sooner…"

Donatello began to sniffle and hiccup. "N-No…p-please don't blame yourself. I-It's my fault for keeping all of my frustrations and fears in… N-Now I know why I've been shutting everyone but you out…it's because…it's because I can't let out how I really feel with them…because why would they listen!? I'm the REJECT!"

"Donatello!" Chey exclaimed before she cupped his cheeks with both of her hands and made him face her. She didn't care that tears began to spill over her thumbs as she firmly continued, "Listen to me, Donatello…if there is one thing you're not, it's a reject. And it's not good for you to keep everything inside you bottled up…keep doing that and it'll end up tearing you apart from within; it's already happening now!"

She sighed and softened her voice, "It's okay to be afraid, but don't let fear consume you. Donnie…you are so smart, so strong, and so precious…don't let any of this keep you from enjoying life! Hey…look at me, Donnie." The brunette paused and leaned her face closer to him so she could stare him in the eyes. "Nothing's going to happen to me, okay? You don't have to be afraid of that…all right?"

Needless to say, Donatello's already-quivering lips now quivered much more violently, and blinking his eyes produce humongous tears that leaked onto his friend's hands. A strangled sob came out of his mouth and, as he did while under her care, leaned to the side and wrapped Cheyloe in a hug, pressing his face into the crook of her neck and weeping. He didn't even flinch as she wrapped her arm around his shell and pulled him closer.

"…I-I'm…so weak…" The purple-masked turtle sniveled, hiccupping as he spoke. "I-I-I cry t-too m-much…"

"No you're not…" Cheyloe whispered, pressing her cheek to his head. "How many times do I have to keep telling you that? You're so strong, Donnie…more than you want to believe…"

* * *

Leonardo slowly pulled away from the telescope, taking note of the image he just witnessed while trying to figure out exactly what was said. Raphael and Michelangelo sat silently, staring at their elder brother and eager to know what he observed. After quietly setting the scope to the side, Leo acknowledged his brothers and began, "…It's kind of sad when your own brother has more confidence in a stranger than his own family."

Mikey took the opportunity to seize the telescope and point it in the direction of Donatello and Cheyloe. Once he got a good look, he was both interested and saddened as he watched his brother hug the brunette and cry. "Whoa, she's kinda cute-looking! But why's Donnie crying?"

Raph instantly snatched the scope from Mikey and decided to take a peek himself. He wouldn't say it, but his heart instantly broke for Donnie…but why did he have to go to some girl for comfort? He could easily go to…wait…maybe…it wasn't that simple. Guilt immediately flooded him when he looked back on some of the remarks he made to Donnie whenever the purple-masked turtle tried to pour out his emotions…many of them made the problem worse.

"So what do we do, Leo?" The red-masked turtle asked. "Do we confront them?"

The blue-masked turtle paused and weighed their options. If they confronted Donnie and this Cheyloe girl, that would tell their brother they eavesdropped on his talk with Master Splinter and he would lose all trust in them. It was possible for them to find a scenario where they could introduce themselves to her; pretend they didn't know about her until then. But they would have to be very careful…because while Donnie wasn't exactly the most socially-adept of the four, he could tell a lot of times when someone was BS-ing with him.

"Okay, how about this?" Leo started. "When all of us go on patrol one night, why don't we have one of us 'accidentally' fall at her place, be shocked, and let her come out and tend to whoever volunteers? That way, Donnie will be there and he'll have no choice but to introduce her to us. He won't know we already know about her!"

"You sure that's going to work, Fearless?" Raph deadpanned. "Donnie isn't exactly that easy to fool, and who would we use to make her come play doctor?"

The two elder brothers paused, slowly turning their heads and casting their eyes on the orange-masked turtle. Mikey currently busied himself with a game on his T-Phone before he noticed the eyes on him, making him pause the game and look at them as though he should start running for his life any moment now.

"…What?"


	10. Hi There

**Author's Note: Don't you just love it when writer's block decides to rear it's ugly head? Well, I finally beat it and have a new chapter up! This is by-far my longest chapter, and the next chapters may go along the same length. So, as you guessed it, the other turtles meet Cheyloe, and they get called out some on their behavior towards Donnie. Who will be the next to meet Donatello's not-so-secret friend? Read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Hi There

"Donnie?" Leonardo knocked on the lab door as he called for his brother. "It's time to go out on patrol!"

"I'll pass tonight, Leo. Go on without me." Donatello's voice replied, the tone despondent.

"That's not an option tonight, Donnie. And you can't use what happened to Metalhead as an excuse."

Donatello instantly flinched at the utterance of the robot's name. Yeah…just the other day, he found a way to give Metalhead the gift of artificial intelligence. Metalhead proved capable of taking on all of them, which didn't exactly sit well with Leo. During their mission investigating missing mutants, Metalhead almost got them captured because of glitches, and that further infuriated his eldest brother. Even Donnie had to admit he thought about shutting the robot off…

That is…until Metalhead sacrificed himself to save them and the mutants captured by the Kraang…one of them being Mr. O'Neil.

He glanced over at a nearby shelf and stared wistfully at the robot's inactive head perched near a few tools. Right now, he didn't have the necessary parts to rebuild him; he couldn't bring Kraang droid pieces home with him every time they fought those nasty brain aliens. Maybe one day, he would have him repaired…and he would really like to show Cheyloe. Too bad he couldn't exactly bring her over to the lair, unless he wanted to get chewed out by everyone.

"…Fine." Donnie finally answered, pushing himself away from the lab table and grabbing his Bo staff. "But as soon as we get back, I'm back to work on the retromutagen, and you can't talk me out of it."

"Fair enough Donnie." Leo replied in mock defeat. Once the door opened to reveal his brother's face, he pushed joking aside and became serious once again. "But Donnie…you can always come talk to us…talk to me. Don't hesitate to tell me if anything's wrong, okay?"

The purple-masked turtle found himself surprised at his brother's remark. Leo never really offered him an ear to listen before; most of the time it was a 'listen up and shut up' attitude with everyone else, especially Raph and Leo. But he was taken aback by someone other than Cheyloe offering to talk to him. Maybe he could talk to Leo…maybe he could trust him enough to tell him the truth…but not while they were out on patrol. He would tell him when they got back, and hopefully in a place where Raph or Mikey wouldn't eavesdrop.

"…Thanks, Leo."

Leo smiled at his brother thanking him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. The blue-masked turtle had done a lot of thinking for the past few days, ever since he, Raph, and Mikey witnessed Donnie's interactions with his 'secret friend' from afar. It wasn't the fact that he had a friend on the side that bothered him. It was that Donatello trusted a complete stranger more than his own flesh and blood that bothered him. After they returned from spying, Leonardo began to question whether or not he had been a good brother lately. More and more of his attention had been diverted towards leadership, stopping Shredder and the Kraang, and Karai, especially Karai.

It even seemed lately he no longer saw his brothers as brothers…just teammates or followers. He already figured the change began the moment Splinter decided he would be leader. Sure, he would still tune into watching Space Heroes or SRMFF, or skateboard every once in a while, or play pinball on occasion…but his mind didn't exactly wrap around his family anymore. And now he had to suffer the consequences in the form of Donnie no longer able to talk to him.

Maybe tonight they could make things right.

* * *

"Leo, I've looked through the telescope a dozen times. There are NO Foot Bots or Kraang droids in sight! Can we go home now?"

"Donnie, we've only been on patrol for half an hour." Leonardo sighed, pinching between his brows. "Have some patience, something will surely show up."

Donatello scowled as he collapsed the telescope and shoved it into his belt. "Nothing is showing up tonight! I can already tell this patrol has been a huge waste of time! I don't know about you guys, but I would like to go home and get back to doing VITAL work on the retromutagen!"

"Donnie, I love you, bro…" Raphael began softly before contorting his face into an angry expression, "…But would you kindly do us a favor and SHUT UP!? Whining about patrol isn't going to make it end faster!"

The purple-masked turtle's jaw almost hit the floor at his red-masked brother's outburst, but he went back to wearing an indignant scowl as he retorted, "Well, maybe it could!"

"Guys, enough!" Leo shouted, holding his hand up and taking his classic leadership stance. "Look, we'll go a few blocks further this way, and if nothing appears, we'll go home. Fair enough? Good, then let's go!"

Donnie stood and tried to retort Leo's declaration, but at the very moment he opened his mouth, his brothers were already several feet ahead of him. Great…just like usual, his complaints and concerns went in one ear and out the other; he admitted though he was acting more like a whiny child for the past few days. He honestly didn't understand why he was being along the lines of hostile towards his brothers. Maybe keeping Cheyloe a secret was starting to affect his rationality… But it wasn't exactly like his brother had a great track record when it came to sharing personal feelings!

"Raph…you remember the plan?" Leo whispered to Raph as they ran across the rooftops.

"Yeah, and I reminded Mikey, too." The temperamental turtle whispered back, glancing behind him to see Mikey closing in. "We're almost to the place. We can't let Donnie figure out that this patrol was part of the plan, too."

"I know…let's just act natural." The eldest turtle nodded.

It wasn't long until all four turtles stopped their run and positioned themselves on top of an upscale apartment building. Leonardo immediately took his position near the edge of the roof, staring down at the streets for any possible signs of the Kraang or the Foot Clan. Raphael leaned up against an air conditioning unit, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, while Michelangelo pulled out his T-Phone and began playing a game of Tetris. As for Donatello, he just sat down, knees pulled to his chest as he handed his eldest brother the telescope, and rested his head in his hand, going into full-sulking mode. What a waste of time…a patrol that greedily ate away at the time he could be spending perfecting retromutagen, or rebuilding Metalhead, or figuring out the cryptic Kraang messages.

If he had been paying attention, he would've immediately recognized the building they were standing on.

It wasn't until maybe five minutes had passed that the red-banded turtle let out an overdramatic groan and crossed his arms, stomping around the asphalt of the roof. "You know Leo, I'm starting to agree with Brainiac over here! So far, no Foot Bots AND no Kraang are around! Can we just go home?"

"No Raph, we have to keep watch for a little while longer." Leo objected, crossing his arms behind his back and twisting his fingers. "It won't hurt any of us to stay and just get this over with."

"Listen to Leo, Raphie!" Mikey chimed in, at the same time focusing on getting the high score. "Sitting around won't make your muscles turn to Jell-O!"

Donnie found himself chuckling at that comeback; he hadn't heard Mikey shoot any like that for a while. In fact, he hadn't really enjoyed any of his brothers' jokes for quite some time, so this one seemed to have enough humor to win his enjoyment. However, that didn't necessarily mean Raph enjoyed it.

"Are you trying to call me FAT, Mikey!?" The red-masked turtle spat, stomping towards the orange-masked turtle. "I am NOT fat! This is pure muscle, you nitwit!"

"Dude, you've always been the biggest out of all of us." Michelangelo shrugged, groaning when he got a Game Over on his phone and stuffing it back into his belt. "Nothing to be ashamed of! I kept a lot of my baby fat for years, so it's not bad at all!"

At the sound of Leonardo and Donatello snickering, Raphael, even though he knew this was supposed to be an act, couldn't help but get hot-tempered about that remark. Well, if he got really mad about the remark, it would be much more realistic and Donnie wouldn't catch on to their deception. So he went up behind Mikey, glancing down for a split-second to make sure the balcony was there, and roughly kicked him in the shell, hard enough to make him fall forward. For the past day or so, Leo traced the GPS in Donnie's phone whenever he went out, and it came to this address. The eldest turtle even confessed that he secretly followed Donnie one night and saw which balcony he went to, so they came prepared. But Mikey fell forward and screamed, making Leo and Donnie dash out and try to catch him, to no avail.

"Raph, what is your problem!?" Donnie spat, looking at him with crazed eyes. "Did you just-"

The genius turtle was cut off by a dull thud from below; it wasn't the type of thud that came from falling over five stories onto the pavement. It was the thud of falling from about the same distance as from the first floor to the ground floor. Donnie looked to see his younger brother lying face-down on a balcony decorated with a few ferns and a set of lilies. Taking notice of it, his eyes suddenly widened and he swallowed a huge lump in his throat.

Oh no, this was…

"Ow, ow, ow…" Michelangelo chanted, turning on his side and clutching his knee. "Guys, I think I hurt my knee!"

"Come on, let's get Mikey and get out of here!" Leonardo commanded, but immediately stopped when he heard the door to the balcony clicking open. "Uh-oh…"

Donatello gulped again and practically smothered himself in the palms of his hands in dreaded anticipation; this had to a nightmare he would wake up from any minute now! If it was, why wasn't he waking up? He whimpered in a high-pitched tone as the door opened up and someone stepped outside.

"Donnie!?" A familiar voice asked as a woman stepped out and leaned in front of Mikey. "Wait…you're not Donnie. You're a lot smaller, and chubbier. Are you Mikey?"

As Cheyloe went to reach her arm out and touch Michelangelo's shell, Leonardo and Raphael took that as their cue to reveal themselves to her. They both made a jump for below, careful not to jump too high, and landed near the railings of the balcony, effectively startling the young woman into falling on her rear end. Donnie sat in his spot, debating on whether or not to come down and face his friend…and have to introduce his family. But his old fears came crawling back; what if his brothers considered her a threat towards Mikey? He could just see them…weapons raised…

"WAIT!"

Leo and Raph froze at the genius turtle's command, watching him jump down between Cheyloe and Mikey and unsheathe his Bo Staff. The moment he pointed it at them, they stepped down, taking their hands off the hilts of their weapons. The eldest brothers saw the determination in Donnie's eyes…the coldness…the fear. The last time they saw that look in his eyes was…

"Agh…guys, a little help here!" Mikey whined, until he took notice of the brunette. Baby blue eyes widening, he sat on his rear and flashed a smile, slicking back his mask tails. "Well…enchanté, mademoiselle. Michelangelo at your service."

Chey seemed to ignore his greeting, getting up and pushing on the surface of the staff, surprising Donnie and making him lower it. He looked into her eyes and noticed her offer a nod, telling him to put his weapon away and calm down. The genius turtle did just that before staring at his brothers.

"I suppose…I have some explaining to do."

* * *

"Well, the good news is you didn't break your knee caps. Those pads protected them well, but you still have some bruising. It should go away in a few days, though."

"Wow, you're a really great doctor!" Mikey awed before sticking a fork with a bit of food into his mouth. "And this is a really great…cheesecake?"

"I'm a nurse, actually, but thank you!" Cheyloe chuckled. "And yes, you got it right. But you should thank Kaitlyn for that; she makes the best cheesecake in the world!"

Leo took a drink out of a can of cola provided while Raph kept his eyes glued on Cheyloe as he ate another bite of cheesecake. Donnie sat awkwardly, poking at his own piece and tapping his soda can. This was the last scenario he wanted to come true; Cheyloe meeting his brothers. He knew it was a selfish thought, and he knew they deserved to know her and vice-versa, but he could just imagine the lectures he would be receiving when he got home. Raph would be the worst offender, judging by the stare he gave the brunette. He wished again that this was some sort of nightmare, even wishing for the demon April to pop up out of the ground and eat him. But it was Leo who decided to break the silence settling into the room.

"So, let me get this straight." The blue-masked turtle began. "After Slash beat Donnie up, you found him and took him here to treat his injuries, and then he stayed here for the week to recover? Was it really that bad?"

"That's right." Cheyloe affirmed. "Sprained arm, multiple gashes, split lip, blackened eyes, bruises, the whole nine yards. I was honestly afraid he wouldn't make it through the first night…but Donnie's a true fighter. He pulled through. Part of it has to be his mutant blood…but I think the majority of it was a strong will to live."

Raphael suddenly cast his green eyes onto Donatello, wearing an unamused expression. "And you didn't want to tell us about her WHY?"

"Yeah, D! Why keep secrets?" Michelangelo chimed in. "She saved your life! What would we possibly do to her?"

"Well, considering your track record with listening to me, and how you guys have handled the crap revolving around Karai, you wouldn't exactly be the first people I'd come to about this!" The purple-masked turtle blurted out.

Now everyone in the kitchen fell silent. Donnie immediately clamped his hands over his mouth and wished he could fade from existence right then and there. Why did he have to say that? Why did he have to confess his biggest frustration over this situation? He prepared himself for a three-way tongue-lashing from his brothers, but instead…

"Donnie, you think because of our issues with Karai, we would attack an innocent woman?" Leo asked in disbelief. "What kind of turtles do you take us for?"

"Dude, yeah, Karai's made us trust people a little less…and Rahzar, too, but we would never hurt someone that saved your life!" Mikey argued, gesturing his hands towards Cheyloe. "Dude, she saved you AND she's letting us eat cheesecake!"

Raph suddenly looked down in shame before facing his brother, taking a deep breath. "If you want someone to blame for how you've been feeling, blame me. I always made fun of your feelings…and my beef with Karai basically made things worse. But, Donnie…give us a little more credit! We wouldn't just attack innocent people!"

"Well, you did think about it when Donnie was missing." Leo admitted, earning a glare from his brother. "But that's beside the point! Donnie…we're sorry we haven't been very trustworthy. All the mean comments I've made towards you…we've made towards you…I wish they could be taken back."

It was at that moment Chey began to chuckle. The turtles stared at her and wondered what exactly she had to find humorous, but instead of finding anything negative, they saw her smile warmly and address Donnie, "Donnie, what did I tell you? You had nothing to worry about! And even if they did attack, I know how to take care of myself. You saw it before, remember?"

The genius turtle laughed awkwardly, slightly sinking into his seat at the table, and rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, yeah…I get it now. I'm sorry…"

Once again, Leo felt like the worst brother in the world, and the worst leader. However, that would change. From now on, he wouldn't push his brothers' problems aside; even if he didn't agree with them on a subject, he would listen to them and offer the best advice he could. He also knew that rule would have to apply to everyone else; from now on, they would have to listen if someone had a problem. After all…Donnie listened, even if his mind was wrapped around April most of the time. Actually, ever since April came back, the blue-masked turtle noticed his brother was less focused on her…

"So…I'm guessing you spoke to Sensei and told him about Cheyloe instead?" Leonardo asked, leaning back in his chair and giving Donatello a serious expression.

"Uh…yeah." The purple-masked turtle admitted in a sheepish tone. "I spoke with him in private."

Of course, the other turtles already knew that, but they would keep that secret between the three of them until they could tell their brother the truth. For now, they would keep on pretending that the information was totally new to them and that they never saw Chey before in their lives.

"Then that means she has to totally meet Sensei!" Michelangelo declared, finishing off the last of his cheesecake and letting out a loud belch. He covered his mouth and added, "Excuse me…I have to show my gentlemanly side to our host."

"About that…" Donnie began, twiddling his thumbs and keeping his head down. "I don't want Chey to come to the lair just yet."

"Why?" Raphael asked in confusion.

The brunette suddenly remembered a conversation she had with Donnie before he went home concerning his father, and the same issue came about. "Oh…you want him to come here and meet me, right? I'll have to have the place tidied up then! You know I'll be available during the evening."

Donnie gave a nod and a smile towards Cheyloe before answering Raph's question. "Well, it's just…I'm not ready to introduce her to April or Casey yet…especially not April."

"What, you think April will be jealous or something?" The red-masked turtle jeered. "Have some more confidence in April!"

"No, it's not that!" The purple-masked turtle argued quickly. "It's just…and no offense to you, Cheyloe, but April might get mad and think I've been spending all my time with a friend instead of perfecting the retromutagen…you know, for her dad."

"Donnie, your life can't revolve around the retromutagen, and April should understand that as well." Leo insisted before letting out a sigh. "But we understand…we'll let Master Splinter know to come over here and meet Cheyloe. And once you're ready, we can even bring April and Casey over to meet her."

"Truthfully, here or your home is fine with me." Chey insisted, standing up and collecting the dirty plates to deposit them in the sink. "But my main concern is whatever makes Donnie or any of you the most comfortable. And if it's okay with your father to come over here."

Donnie offered a small smile and crossed his arms on the table. "I will say this...it wouldn't hurt to have some hot tea ready."


	11. Tea and Sympathy

**Author's Note: Don't you just hate it when writer's block comes in? That and having to go to get-togethers? Well, I finally managed to finish this chapter, and it involves Splinter meeting Cheyloe! What will the next chapter be about? Can you guess? I predict it will involve Casey and April, but I could be wrong! Rate and review!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Tea and Sympathy

"I know, Sensei, that things have been hectic lately, what with Karai coming after us much more frequently, us still searching for Mr. O'Neil, and that it didn't go so well last time you were on the surface, but it would be really, REALLY great if you came and met my friend! I mean, the guys met her…albeit by accident, but you were right and she was right; they didn't try to hurt her! So, would you please come and speak with her?"

Donatello stopped his speech and stared hard at his reflection on the water's surface, playing every possible reaction in his mind like a reel of old film. Splinter would probably agree wholeheartedly…or he may flat-out refuse. He looked over his shoulder because he knew Michelangelo watched him from the sofa, and asked, "Too much?"

"Dude, stop worrying so much!" Mikey reassured. "Sensei's gonna say yes! He'll be more than happy to meet her! And then we can bring April and Casey over to have cheesecake with her!"

"Uh, Mikey…about that…" Donnie began, scratching the back of his neck. "You see, with Casey and April-"

"I will say yes to what, my son?"

The genius turtle admittedly jumped at the sound of Master Splinter's voice. He and the freckled turtle watched their father exit the dojo and approach the steady stream of sewer water, adding his reflection to its surface to accompany Donatello's. Why couldn't he have practiced the inevitable conversation in his room, without his own father stepping in? Well, even with Mikey being in the room, Donnie was much more relieved that Leo and Raph weren't in here, or Casey and April, for that matter. Might as well get it over with since he was here now…

"W-Well, Sensei…due to Raph deciding to literally kick Mikey off of a rooftop…the guys met Cheyloe." Donnie confessed, smiling nervously.

Splinter raised an eyebrow and his whiskers drooped slightly. "Is that correct, my son?"

"Y-Yes, that's correct. So…and Leo agreed with me on this…she would like for you to come and have tea with her and possibly her roommates. I know you don't like going to the surface Sensei, but I think it would be wiser to meet her, as Raph says, on her turf." Donnie explained, twiddling his thumbs.

Mikey's face dropped. "Aw, how come she can't come here? I wanted to show her my pizza skills! And Casey and April haven't met her!"

"…That's what I was getting to, Mikey." The genius turtle gritted out. "Right now, I don't want them to know about Cheyloe. Especially not April…I can't let April know about her."

"Why? You think she'll get jealous or something?"

"No, because…"

"Because you believe that if April were to learn about her, she will be angry." Splinter cut in, studying his second-youngest son's face. "You believe that April will assume that you've spent all of your time with your friend instead of creating retromutagen for her father, correct?"

Michelangelo suddenly looked crestfallen. "Oh yeah…you did say that."

The rat let out a sigh and stared at Donatello with eyes that radiated the classic fatherly concern. He truthfully hated it that his son felt his life had to revolve around retromutagen for Kirby O'Neil, and that he felt he basically had to walk on eggshells with April. He believed the genius turtle wanted to create the cure not only to redeem himself for the mutagen spillage, but also to win, as the boys called it, 'brownie points' with April. He knew his son had a good heart, but at times he let his personal desires get in the way of what truly needed to be in focus. He knew he would have to speak with his son again on the matter…but that would be later.

"Very well, my son." Splinter nodded. "And what time does your friend wish for us to arrive?"

"But Sensei, I really wanted-wait…is that a yes?" Donnie gaped, blinking his eyes rapidly.

"Indeed, my son." The rat nodded slowly. "Did I not tell you before that I wished to meet her and give her my thanks that your life was saved?"

"Y-Yeah, you did." The genius turtle nodded feverishly, the smile on his face growing at an alarming rate. "Let's get Leo and Raph and go right now!"

* * *

"Hey, you're not letting that water boil until it's gone, right? You know what happened last time you fixed tea."

"I know that, and I learned from it. You don't need to hover over me every time I even go near the stove!"

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes, amused at Cheyloe boiling a bunch of hot water in a pot in an attempt to make some tea. The latter got a phone call from her turtle friend, saying something about his dad wanting to meet her. Who would've thought the brunette could attract mutants, of all things. The dirty-blonde snorted as she opened the fridge and pulled out a glass bottle of clear liquid, catching Cheyloe's attention almost immediately.

"Kaitlyn, don't drink that while we have guests over!" Chey scolded.

"What, I was gonna drink it in my room and take a nap." Kaitlyn huffed, holding the bottle closer to her chest as though it was her child.

Chey puffed out her cheeks in frustration over her roommate's need for that disgusting liquid. Anybody could mistake that stuff for water if those bottles weren't labeled! And besides, she feared the stuff would give Donatello's father a bad impression of her. However, she didn't feel like fighting about it right now, so she let out a held breath and resigned, "Fine…but just one. And keep it in your room."

Kaitlyn just gave her a shrug and a flippant wave before disappearing into her room with the bottle. The brunette groaned and quickly opened the fridge, rearranging the items so that the other bottles of clear liquid could not be spotted, just in case Donnie wanted something cold to drink. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to unintentionally get sick… As the water finally boiled to the desired temperature, Cheyloe pulled out a box of chamomile tea bags and some mugs. But before she could place the tea bags in the mugs, she heard a tapping at the glass door.

"Oh, the guests are here!"

Cheyloe immediately went for the balcony door and unlocked it, revealing none-other than Donatello and his brothers. Donnie offered a wave and a smile, and the others followed suit; Raph didn't smile, however. But then she noticed there was someone else in the mix, and the turtles sensed her curiosity. The purple-masked turtle cleared his throat and began to step back.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it!" The young woman beamed before addressing the fifth guest. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Thank you for having us over, Cheyloe." He began. "Oh, and…I'd like you to meet our father…Master Splinter."

When the turtles stepped aside to give the big reveal…well, it certainly wasn't what the brunette expected. Donnie did mention that he was their adoptive father, but he didn't let her know he was a tall, humanoid rat. She honestly did expect a turtle like them. Nevertheless, he didn't look completely intimidating, and he had to be a good person because of how good Donnie turned out. So she could ignore the fact that this Splinter was a giant rat.

"Good evening, sir!" Cheyloe beamed, bowing her head in respect. "I'm Cheyloe Doggett…it's an honor to meet you."

Splinter offered a bow in return, smiling slightly. "The honor is mine, Miss Doggett. Thank you for inviting us to your home."

The young woman smiled and stepped out of the doorway. "Please, come in! I was just finishing on fixing some tea!"

As the turtles and Splinter stepped inside, Mikey watched Cheyloe fix two mugs of chamomile tea before casting his baby-blue eyes onto the refrigerator. Hmm…did she have any more cheesecake? Maybe more soda? He absentmindedly licked his lips before asking, "Cheyloe? Can I have soda, please?"

"A soda sounds good right now." Raph grunted, casually taking a seat at the table.

"I'd like to request a soda, too, if that's okay." Leo piped in, sitting next to Splinter at the table.

Donatello kept silent; he actually found himself in the mood for tea. Chey seemed to pick up on that when she pulled out a third mug and fixed the drink for him, herself, and his father. And once the others had their hands on some colas, now they could begin their discussion and express whatever gratitude they could, particularly Splinter. It didn't make Donnie feel any less awkward and excited, though; it made him feel like he was introducing his girlfriend to his dad. He didn't feel that way about Cheyloe, though…he surely didn't have those feelings towards her.

"Miss Doggett…" Splinter began, sipping on the tea once it was brought to him. "I want to express my deepest thanks for saving my son from a certain demise."

"Oh, you're welcome, sir!" The brunette beamed, slowly sipping on her own tea and smiling at Splinter and Donnie. "I was just trying to be a Good Samaritan. I didn't want that giant turtle mutant coming back to strangle Donnie again-"

"Wait, Slash STRANGLED Donnie!? The red-masked turtle spat, choking on his soda. "Donnie, why didn't you tell us Slash went that far!?"

The rat glared over at his second-oldest son. "Raphael, do not interrupt our host. Please Miss Doggett, continue."

Cheyloe nodded at the request, getting a napkin and handing it to Raph. "Anyway, I know the others heard the story, but I'll go on and repeat it. I honestly thought Donnie wouldn't make it through that first night; sprained arm, almost broken, so many gashes, swollen face…but he's a fighter. He healed up nicely during the week…and I made sure to earn his trust before speaking to him about anything personal."

"…Donatello is more of a fighter than he wants to believe." Splinter sighed, ignoring the embarrassed huff coming from the purple-masked turtle. "But understand that during the time the attack occurred, we were dealing with many incidents that wore us down emotionally…"

"It started with that April girl leaving, right?" Chey asked. When she noticed the many surprised eyes upon her, she added, "Donnie told me about it. Who wouldn't be down if your friend tells you they never want to see you again? I know I would…"

"Yeah, but, April's back now!" The orange-masked turtle chimed in, clutching his soda can. "She forgave us, forgave Donnie! So it's all good and he still has a chance with her! Well, maybe not a whole lot with Casey around now."

The genius turtle growled and shoved his face into his palms at the mention of his crush. "Mikey, PLEASE stop talking…"

The brunette couldn't help but laugh, walking over and resting her hand on Donatello's shoulder. "Hey…there's nothing wrong with having a crush. Don't ever feel embarrassed about having one."

The red-masked turtle suddenly snorted. "Yeah, well, with this crush, it's gonna be all for nothing. April's a human, and Donnie's a giant turtle. It'll never work."

Raphael opened his eyes, noticing the blanket of silence that fell over everyone in the room, as all eyes focused on him, some in shock, and some in fury. The furious ones seemed to be coming from Donnie, Leo, and even Master Splinter. So he uncrossed his arms and sat up in his chair asking, "What? What're you all staring at?"

"Raph, why did you have to go and say that?" Leo growled, punching his brother in the shoulder. "You don't say that to Donnie!"

"What, because you guys don't want to be honest with him?" Raph shot back, rubbing his shoulder and balling his other hand into a fist. "You'd rather have him live in some fantasy?"

"Raphael!" Splinter bellowed, tapping his cane on the hardwood floor and narrowing his eyes once his son quieted down. "You and Leonardo will not engage in this foolish behavior in front of our guest." He turned to Cheyloe and bowed his head. "My apologies, Miss Doggett…I did not expect my sons to start arguing while at another's home."

"No need to apologize, Mr. Splinter." Chey smiled. "It sounds more like Raph is just wanting to make sure Donnie's heart isn't broken. First crushes are always tough…especially when the person you're crushing on likes someone else…"

"Did you ever have a crush?" Mikey asked out of curiosity, surprising Donnie.

The brunette tapped her chin and thought back on when her first crush was. "Hmm…I believe it was back in elementary school. There was one boy I liked, but he was a stereotypical 'bad boy'…I got over him quickly. But I've honestly never dated; haven't felt the need to."

Splinter raised an eyebrow and stroked at his long beard. "I am guessing Donatello disclosed to you that he has…affectionate feelings towards April. I too have spoken to him about the matter…during her absence, I made it clear to him that he cannot make her like him, especially with the need to find a cure for her father."

"…You too, huh?" Chey asked, her expression softening before she turned to Donnie. "Sorry if we're embarrassing you, Donnie. Don't ever be afraid to talk to any of us about the matter, okay? I may not give the greatest advice, but I'll do the best I can."

Donatello looked up at his friend, feeling bad that he made her think that way. He would fight with Raph about bringing up the entire 'your crush on April is hopeless' junk when they got home…he didn't want Cheyloe to see that side of his family, even though he spoke about it before. Maybe…maybe he wanted her to think he was exaggerating it, instead of letting her see the whole story. It wasn't that he didn't trust her…it was more along the lines of him afraid of her witnessing the imperfections in his family.

"N-No, no, it's okay." He finally replied. "I'll just…talk with Raph when we get home."

* * *

"So there I was, so excited to finally be able to ride a horse for the first time, only to find that when I got on the mare, I was terrified of how high I was. I stared whining for my mom and dad to get me down immediately and almost scared the horse!"

The turtles let out a chorus of laughter, and Splinter let out a small chuckle, enjoying Cheyloe recollect on hilarious moments from her childhood. By now, all the tea was sipped up and the soda cans were empty; they didn't keep track of how long they were at the apartment. But it was the rat who finally noticed the hour, clearing his throat and lightly tapping his cane.

"It is getting late, my sons…we don't want to deprive Miss Doggett of sleep needed for tomorrow." As he got up, he faced the young woman and offered another bow of respect. "I thank you very much for your hospitality. When the conditions are right…we would like to return the favor and invite you to our home."

"Oh, no need to worry about me!" Chey insisted, smiling and bowing in turn. "And you're most welcome to come back at any time!"

Michelangelo let out a belch from the soda, sheepishly covering his mouth, before waving and calling, "I'll bring over a pot of my pizza noodle soup next time!"

Once the other turtles and Splinter exited the door and offered some goodnights, Donatello stopped in front of her and scratched the back of his neck. "Hey…thanks for letting Master Splinter come over and meet you. It really means a lot…and sorry about Raph."

The brunette grinned and patted him on the upper shell. "Hey, don't worry about it. I was more than happy to have you guys over. You all be careful going home, okay?"

"Hey, we're ninjas. We'll take care of ourselves just fine." Donnie jested before leaning forward and giving his friend a hug. "See you sometime during the week?"

"It's a deal." She answered back, watching him exit via the balcony.

Once the turtles and Splinter were gone, Cheyloe began the process of cleaning the table and washing the mugs; they would be needed for coffee in the morning. As she started running hot dish water, she heard someone emerge from the hall and lean against the frame of the entryway. She immediately knew who it was, since she didn't turn to get a look.

"So…when're you gonna tell Donnie-boy about the big secret?"

At that statement, Chey almost dropped the mugs onto the floor. Her eyes slightly widened, she turned her head to barely have Kaitlyn in her peripheral vision as she answered, "Donnie…doesn't need to know that about all of us. He would…he would be afraid of us."

"He's a mutant turtle fighting those monsters in the city, and you're worried he won't be able to handle what we are?" Kaitlyn shot back, crossing her arms. "Get real, Chey, that's kind of shallow. You tell him he can talk to you about anything…why don't you return the favor?"

Cheyloe just stared at her reflection in the water filling up the sink, taking a hard moment to reflect on things, before turning the water off and adding soap. She let out a sigh and hunched her shoulders, finally muttering, "When the time is right…I'll tell him. Until then…I have to keep up this façade that the three of us are…normal."


	12. Clever Little Sneaks

**Author's Note: Don't you just hate it when writer's block rears its ugly head once again? Well, now I'm back, and I'm going to try and keep writer's block at bay from now on. Anyway, April is getting suspicious of Donnie's trips outside the lair, and believes they aren't to the junkyard. Will Casey agree with her, or will he try and talk some sense into her? What will our human allies find? Well, read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Clever Little Sneaks

"Gap-tooth seems like he's in a better mood. He's still not hanging around here much, though."

"Casey, stop calling him that. Have you taken a look at your teeth lately?"

"Hey, I consider that a battle scar…his is what happens when you don't get braces. You know what I'm sayin'?"

April could only roll her eyes and try to suppress a scoff. Though she wouldn't say it outright, Casey had a point concerning Donatello. He seemed to be in better spirits, and acted happier whenever she helped him out with the retromutagen or when he helped her with trig. Still…lately she wondered if it was really her presence that made him happy now.

She had a feeling that Donnie crushed on her; he failed to hide it several times, and the night involving Metalhead gave her the first clue. She found it cute but a little creepy…not like she wanted to date him or anything. However, with the Kraang/Foot mess going on and just Donnie's kindness towards her and drive to cure her father…she couldn't exactly tell him what she felt about him. As for Casey…well, she couldn't exactly make up her mind either; it wasn't like she knew him for years.

As the two teens watched television in the central part of the lair, Donatello waltzed out of the lab, twirling his Bo staff and putting it in the holder on his shell while letting out a small whistle. He noticed April and Casey, giving a small wave and a smile to the former, before announcing, "I'm going to the junkyard! Be back later!"

"Careful out there, Donnie!" Leo called back from the dojo.

"Bring us a piece of cheesecake!" Mikey added in from the kitchen.

Donatello rolled his eyes before jumping over the turnstiles and heading out of the lair. Did Mikey have to really suggest he go out to the junkyard and get cheesecake? He started to believe that his brother was getting addicted to cheesecake as much as he was already to pizza. But he had some spare cash tucked away in his belt…maybe he could don a disguise, stop by the bakery, and pick up a packaged slice just to shut him up. Of course, the creamy dessert did sound very tasty right now.

He didn't stick around long enough to see April abruptly stand up from her seat on the couch and walk towards the turnstiles, which prompted Casey to get up and follow suit, only he didn't know what was going on. The hockey player furrowed his brow as he asked in a whisper, "What're you doing, Red?"

"Casey…we have to find out where Donnie's going all the time." April whispered back, narrowing her blue eyes at the tunnels of the sewer and subway. "I don't think he's just going to the junkyard. He's hardly home anymore, and he barely talks to me."

"The guy's probably goin' through a phase or somethin'." Casey retorted, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "What could he possibly have ta hide from you?"

 _I bet it has everything to do with that girl._

As much as she hated thinking that, she couldn't stop the thought circulating inside her mind. It just had to be that girl she saw in Donnie's memories; what other reason besides the junkyard would he have to go out so often? April didn't know what the turtle told that other girl…but she wondered if he blabbed all the negative stuff about her. No, that wouldn't be like Donnie at all. Still, she couldn't help but want to figure out exactly what the relationship was between Donnie and…HER.

"I don't think it's a phase, Casey." April replied, though it seemed forced. "He's been acting different ever since he just came back to the lair. I mean, he's all but stopped working on the retromutagen! I have to know why!"

The vigilante suddenly held his hands up. "Whoa, Red, calm down. Look, okay, we'll tail Donnie fer a while and see what he's doin'. If he's goin' to th' junkyard like he said, then we back off." He flipped his mask down over his face and continued, "I'm telling ya, it's just a phase."

Grabbing her tessen, April kept a stoic face. However, in her eyes swam so many emotions; namely doubt about Casey's words, fear of the truth, and frustration towards Donnie. When she saw him, she knew she couldn't just jump out and confront him about his recent behavior. She just had to either confirm or deny her suspicions.

"…I certainly hope you're right, Casey."

* * *

"I didn't expect to find so many hubcaps. Too small for the Shellraiser, though. Maybe I can do something with this computer motherboard."

Donatello didn't care that he was the only one at the junkyard, and some studies suggested talking to yourself was perfectly fine. It certainly helped to distract him from all that was his nonstop-thinking. Now here he was finding equipment to customize the Shellraiser and more supplies to cook up the anticipated, perfected batch of retromutagen. Maybe he could even find some parts to rebuild Metalhead's body…maybe a better container for Timothy's frozen body…

"Gah! I can't go around acting sad and somber!" Donnie shouted, clutching his head with one hand. "I won't be able to get any work done! First and foremost, I have to cure April's dad! Then maybe she'll…"

The genius turtle stopped himself right there as he picked up a set of chemistry tongs. Honestly, he thought over the issue for days concerning his motivation for wanting to cure April's dad, and his conversations with Cheyloe made him question himself even more. He really didn't want to admit it, but his initial motivation for wanting to de-mutate Mr. O'Neil was just to win April's romantic interest and make her be friends with him again; it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. The first situation to give him a harsh dose of reality was the incident with Mutagen Man. Especially Master Splinter's lesson beforehand…

You can't make someone like you.

Then he remembered what Cheyloe told him concerning love from her personal standpoint: love at first sight is a load of crock. He always told himself that his affection towards April wasn't a mere crush; it had to be love! But now…now he wondered if it was all nothing more than a silly crush; one that would burn out after enough time. He remembered telling Leo similar things concerning Karai, and now he saw himself as a hypocrite. Needless to say…love sucked.

"…I actually wonder if Chey can give me some advice on how to get over someone." Donnie mused bitterly, running his fingers over a broken miniature stage light. "Maybe Raph's right…maybe I should just give up on whatever miniscule chance I have with April."

What the turtle wasn't aware of, unless he used his ninjitsu teachings right then, were the two spies watching him from behind a busted-down Pinto. If they had arrived a moment earlier, they would've caught the tail-end of his personal monologue; for him it was a good thing. One of the spies peered their blue eyes over the shattered passenger window and saw the purple-masked turtle examining a few metal pieces before putting them in his duffel-bag.

"See Red?" Casey began, pointing in Donnie's direction. "He's collecting junk and that's it. Now can we head back to th' lair?"

April fixated her eyes on Donatello rummaging through more scrap metal before letting out a heavy sigh. "…Maybe you're right, Casey. Okay, let's get back before he knows we're here."

As the redhead and raven-haired boy got up to leave, they heard music begin to play followed by the turtle letting out a yelp of pain. April immediately recognized the music as Donnie's T-Phone, and looking back, she saw him holding his bleeding hand. There on the ground was a piece of sharp metal with some blood on it; the T-Phone going off must've scared him into cutting his hand. She kept watching the wincing turtle slowly pull out his phone and answer it.

"H-Hello?" Donnie greeted, hiding the pain in his voice. "Oh, hey, what's up? Huh? You need me to come over and pick up something? Yeah, I've got time. All right, be over in a jiffy. Bye!"

Once the turtle placed his T-Phone back in his belt, he grabbed a cloth from his bag and held it over the cut before gathering the junk he chose and heading out of the junkyard. April watched carefully, her eyes narrowing as Donnie's short phone conversation replayed in her mind. "We have to keep following him."

"Why? He was probably talking to one of the bros!" Casey argued, clearly showing he was sick of playing stalker. "Let's just go back before he beats us!"

"You don't understand, Casey!" The redhead shot back defiantly. "I think he's got some secret friend he doesn't want us to know about! I have to know who she is!"

"Red, you're just-wait…did you say 'she'?" The vigilante asked as a smug smirk appeared on his lips, the gap of missing teeth flashing through. "Don't tell me you're jealous, Red. Afraid Don's got the hots for someone else?"

"N-No! I am NOT jealous, Casey!" April shot back before punching her friend in the arm. "Just come on!"

* * *

Donnie let a hiss of pain slip when he accidentally bumped his hand against the balcony railing, aggravating the cut in his skin. Honestly, why'd he have to get cut tonight? He needed to remember to turn down the volume on his phone next time, or put it on vibrate or whatever. But that wasn't important right now…right now he had to pick up a package and pick it up now. Crossing his arms, he lifted his head towards the sky as he waited at the door; not that he was in a hurry. Finally, he heard footsteps and the door click open.

"So I heard that I'm to receive a delicate package at this residence, ma'am?" He asked, failing to hide a smile and the humor in his voice.

"Hello to you too, compadre." Cheyloe joked back, presenting the purple-masked turtle with a Tupperware container filled with something that smelled warm and sweet. "Anna and I had the idea to make you guys a batch of seven-layer cookies. Well, Kaitlyn actually made them since she doesn't trust us around the stove. None of you are allergic to coconut, are you?"

"No, we're good with coconut." Donnie replied, opening the container and taking a whiff of the morsels. "Whoa, these smell good! I'll have to make sure Mikey doesn't eat all of 'em."

As the brunette let out a laugh, she suddenly noticed the stained cloth wrapped around the turtle's hand. She reached out and pulled it back to expose the deep cut, gasping, "What happened to your hand?"

Donnie winced, pulling his hand back towards his plastron. "Oh, I-I just cut it on some scrap metal. It's no big deal; happens all the time!"

"No big deal? Donnie, you don't know what was on that metal before it cut you!" Cheyloe argued, taking his hand and leading him inside. "It won't bother me at all to clean that wound, so take a moment to sit down while I get the first-aid kit ready!"

As the turtle felt himself be pulled into the apartment, once again, he wasn't aware of the eyes watching him a few rooftops away. Watching from a water tower, April felt her heart drop into her stomach as she watched her friend disappear into the apartment. Her powers didn't lie…Donnie had a new friend, one he didn't trust her enough to tell about. She couldn't exactly understand why Donnie wouldn't trust her enough to say he made a friend in his absence…and she figured this was where Donnie was when he went missing.

"Whoa, who's that chick?" Casey inquired after letting out a whistle. "And why'd Donnie go in 'er crib?"

"Donnie's been lying to us about where he's going." April concluded, her voice masking barely-contained anger. "And he never even bothered to tell anyone where he was while he was gone…he had us all thinking he was dead! All over some girl! I bet he's in there living it up while everyone else is thinking the worst!"

Still, April already had a hint of this from when she peeked into Donatello's memories, but actually seeing her friend with this other person felt like a slap in the face. If he was at another human's apartment during his absence, why didn't he bother calling any of his family members? It didn't matter that his T-Phone broke from what she heard; he still should've contacted them!

"Chill out, April!" Casey reprimanded, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets. "Maybe he had a reason for not telling anybody. I mean, when I first got there it seemed like things between him and the bros were strained, and you were pretty mad at him for a while concerning your dad. What if he was afraid of making things worse?"

April opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly closed it when she thought of Casey's words. She remembered the times the others teased Donnie, one time being when he got attacked by Dr. Rockwell. And she overheard Raph telling the genius turtle that he was 'sadorable'. And of course her outburst with her dad's mutation…did Donnie really feel like he couldn't tell them anything? Did he seriously feel like he basically had to walk on eggshells with her? It almost sounded like her temper was just as bad as Raph's, a thought she found herself embarrassed by.

Still…this didn't mean Donnie was going to be let off the hook.

The redhead's attention shifted when she saw Donnie and the brunette exiting the apartment, a fresh bandage on the turtle's hand and the Tupperware container in the other. She could see them talking about something before they hugged each other and Donnie leapt to the roof of the building. That was a signal for her and Casey to head back to the lair before he did, or at least try and beat him there.

"Hey wait a minute…" Casey stated as they began going towards the lair. "I've seen that chick before… When my sister broke her wrist from falling off her bike, she was one of the nurses working that day at the hospital. So if ya can't talk ta Donnie, how about ya talk ta HER?"

"Casey, I can't just pop into the hospital and say to her 'oh hi, I see you know my mutant turtle friend'! I don't even know what her name is; I couldn't pick it up from Donnie's memories!"

"Well then, just wait fer Donnie ta be ready ta tell ya!" The vigilante shot back. "If he finds out we spied on 'im, that won't exactly help him trust ya more, or even me!"

April found herself scoffing, almost missing the fire escape. "And exactly how long am I supposed to wait, Casey!? He'll probably keep her secret as long as he's still alive!"

Casey grunted as he hopped to the pavement. "You don't know that! Have a little more faith in Donnie!"

The redhead let out a growl, finally deciding that arguing about it anymore was just pointless. She honestly felt like cornering Donnie in his lab and confronting him about his 'friend', but it would make it seem like she was a wife confronting her husband about an affair. She didn't even feel that way towards the turtle! At the same time, if she confronted Donnie about it, then that would shatter any trust he had in her. If she confronted him, that would tell him that she spied on him, and possibly tell him that she read his mind.

Why couldn't things be simple?

* * *

"Whoa, cookies!?" Michelangelo beamed. "Aw man, Chey's the best!"

"Mikey, don't even think about eating all of 'em!" Raph growled as he shoved his youngest brother away from the cookies.

"Hey, let me have some!" Leo whined, reaching for one of the desired morsels.

Donatello managed to sneak a couple of cookies before his brothers started fighting over the treats, and he looked in time to see Master Splinter whack the others with his cane over their squabbling. That and the rat wanted to secure his own seven-layer cookie. Letting out a small chuckle, he put one cookie into his mouth as he made his way to the lab to get back to work. A little sugar rush would help in his need to finish the retromutagen, since they were low on coffee. But as Donnie opened the doors to his lab, he felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to yelp and almost drop the cookie. When he turned around to see who scared him, he saw…

"April?" He asked, pulling the treat from his mouth. "Uh, what's up?"

"Hey Donnie." April greeted quickly, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Uh...how's the retromutagen coming along?"

The purple-masked turtle let out a sigh, taking a bite out of one of his cookies. "So-so. I don't have a lot of mutagen left to experiment with, so I'm trying to make these next results count. If one of them proves to be it, then we can finally get your dad back once and for all."

"Donnie…you've been working really hard lately." The redhead stated, wringing her hands out of anxiety as she locked eyes with her friend. "Listen…I'm really sorry for putting pressure on you about it."

"N-No, no, don't apologize!" The genius turtle insisted while waving his hands in front of her. "No pressure at all! I just know that making a retromutagen is top priority right now!"

"Donnie, don't lie." April reprimanded. "Raph told me you've barely slept and that you've been depressed. I also wanted to say…I'm sorry if you've felt like you've had to walk on eggshells around me. If something happens that I get mad at you guys, I won't end our friendship, no matter how petty or how serious it is."

Donnie felt floored by April's words; how did she know he felt this way? It had to be those Kraang powers of hers, but he wasn't totally sure. Actually, he was surprised that she didn't ask about the cookies yet, but maybe she overlooked them to talk to her. Her words were nice, but they didn't completely alleviate his fears…and he still didn't want to tell her about Cheyloe. Thinking of his friend suddenly brought an idea to mind. While the brunette patched him up, he spoke about the trouble he had with the retromutagen and his findings on April's DNA. Then the suggestion Chey made about finding a way to connect the two suddenly made sense…

"Hey, April…I think I know something that might help with the retromutagen." Donnie suggested, biting into the cookie once again. "I know this may seem strange, but I'll need to take a blood sample."

"A blood sample?" The redhead repeated. "You think my DNA will help with the retromutagen? Well…if it'll help my dad, then okay. But don't rush or push yourself anymore, okay? The last thing I want to see is my best friend burnt-out over me."

The purple-masked turtle offered a small smile at her plea. "I can't make any promises April…but I'm willing to give it a try."

"By the way…where did you get those cookies?"


	13. Convenient Encounters

**Author's Note: Okay, I think I'm doing a better job of updating. Anyway, Raph confronts Donnie on his need to keep Cheyloe a secret from April. Little does our genius turtle know, April is going to have an interesting encounter when she goes to meet up with him one night. But is it also possible that someone else is aware of Donnie's new friend? Well, read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Convenient Encounters

 _"_ _Uh…I found them discarded! They aren't dirty! The lid was secure on them! S-Shame someone threw away great cookies!"_

Well, that was an adventure. Donatello thought he was never going to convince April that he happened to find the container of cookies in a dumpster, even though she didn't seem totally convinced. Fortunately for him, she took that as a cue not to ask any more questions. And now here he was examining a sample of April's blood he collected an hour ago. He had to make the tube he got last a week, so any tests he did had to use a small amount.

"I'm pretty sure Mikey'll start bugging me over getting the cookie recipe from Cheyloe before long." Donnie mumbled to himself.

"I'm amazed you were able to convince April of where you got 'em."

The genius turtle jumped in his seat at the voice addressing him. Clutching a hand over his plastron, he turned in his seat to have none-other than Raphael in his line of vision. Raph would never come into the lab…not unless he wanted something. If he was going to pester him about a motorcycle one more time…

"Can I help you, Raph?" Donnie asked, trying to hide the irate tone in his voice.

"Aren't you in a pleasant mood all of a sudden?" The red-masked turtle shot back in a low voice. He had in his hand one of the sought-after seven-layer cookies as he swaggered into the lab and leaned over his brother's work desk, looking down at the tube holding April's blood. "So how long are ya gonna keep 'er in the dark about Cheyloe? She's gonna find out sometime."

"I know Raph, I know I have to tell her!" The purple-masked turtle huffed, pushing the microscope away. "I just…I'm just afraid of how she'll react. I've had to be careful with what I say since her dad's mutation, that's all!"

"Don, she'd appreciate it more if you just told her the truth." Raph argued while poking his finger into his brother's plastron. "Besides, April getting mad about it should be the least of your worries. And it's better for her to know than anyone else."

Donnie pursed his lips together and narrowed his auburn eyes. "What do you mean?"

Raph raised up from the desk and crossed his arms, giving a snort and rolling his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? There are some people that don't need ta know about Cheyloe. Ya know, the Kraang, the Foot Clan…Karai in particular. You know Karai's been after us for weeks like a bloodthirsty dog, tryin' ta get back at us for attemptin' ta off her daddy dearest."

The genius turtle's eyes widened considerably. He truthfully didn't think of that risk towards his friendship with Chey. Raph spoke truthfully; Karai had been obsessed with finding them ever since she first attacked April, now even more with her father nowhere in sight. Ever since they took advantage of her truce with them to sneak and kill Shredder, she made them enemy number one, especially Leonardo. However, he knew she would use any means necessary to lure them out and finish them…and if she found out Cheyloe had a connection with them, she would become a target.

"Raph…I never even thought about Karai." Donatello admitted, his voice quiet. "The worst I ever thought she'd have to encounter would be the Purple Dragons…how could I be so careless? S-Sure, she can defend herself against gang members, but she's never been up against a ninja!"

"Whoa, Donnie, chill out!" The temperamental turtle shushed, putting his hands on the thinner turtle's shoulders. "Right now, she's fine…just don't try to be out in the open with her too much. There's no telling when a Foot Bot could be following either of you."

"R-Right, right…" The genius turtle breathed out. "Just as long as we keep our guard up, she'll be okay."

"But that doesn't mean she can be safe forever…and just remember you can't hide her from April forever, either. She's gonna find out about her, one way or another."

* * *

What better way to celebrate the impending weekend than to get a bite of pizza gyoza? It was a shame the turtles weren't with her, at least not right now; Donnie was supposed to come over to the noodle shop and give her some chemistry notes. Casey couldn't tag along because he had to babysit his sister, so that left April walking alone to Murakami's. Walking alone didn't bother her like it used to, but she always made sure to have her tessen ready if needed…such as if a Kraang droid or Karai decided to ambush her. But lately Karai had been quiet, and so had the rest of Shredder's goons; even Shredder himself. That was actually worse than if they were constantly active, and considering she was more than likely still a target, it wasn't good for her to be alone until she improved in ninja training.

But she didn't want anyone holding her hand the rest of her life. Why couldn't the guys just let her be able to defend herself for once? Donnie was especially guilty of this, though she knew he meant well, and now Casey jumped on the 'protect April from everything' bandwagon. Okay, she had to admit she often put herself in dangerous situations, but she just wanted to prove she wasn't a damsel in distress. And if any Kraang or Foot came to harm her, she'd show them how much she's improved.

First and foremost, though…get a bite to eat.

No Purple Dragons in sight, no Kraang, no Foot…good. April collected one of the engraved tiles required to order food-one with a pizza slice on it-before ducking under the curtain that hung over the doorframe and walking up to the bar. "Good evening, Murakami-san!"

"Hello, April-chan!" Murakami greeted, drying his hands after washing them. "Are the turtles with you?"

"No, but Donnie will be over in a bit. I was just going to grab a bite before he came." The redhead replied, handing the chef the engraved tile.

Murakami rubbed his thumb over the picture and beamed, "Pizza gyoza, April-chan? I'll make some for Donatello-san as well!"

April offered a chuckle at that. Well, it was thanks to the turtles that pizza gyoza even existed, and she heard around town that it was one of the more popular menu items. She would still eat some of the other things; tofu and miso ramen was her favorite besides the pot-stickers. Watching Murakami get started, she took a seat at the bar and waited for her order, not noticing someone else entering the restaurant with an engraved tile as well.

"Good evening, sir!" The next customer greeted, holding out their tile. "I hope you're not too busy tonight!"

"Not at all!" Murakami chuckled, taking the tile and rubbing his thumb over it. "Tonkotsu pork ramen? I'll have it as soon as I'm done with the gyoza!"

"No rush, Mr. Murakami!" The customer chuckled before walking up to April. "Mind if I take a seat?"

"Oh, not at…" April paused when she got a good look at who approached her. There she was, dressed up in scrubs and a coat…the girl she saw handing those cookies to Donatello…the girl he wanted to keep secret from her. "…all."

The brunette's smile faded and she tilted her head to the side. "Hm? Is something wrong?"

April shook her head, fighting to keep herself from flying into a confrontational outburst. She really wanted to get up in this woman's face and ask her what Donnie knew about her and why he was keeping her secret. She wanted to ask her why Donnie didn't come home to his family and why he seemed to care more about her than curing her dad. But what good would that do? If the woman already had a bad impression of her, doing that would just make it worse; it would make her look like some psychotic, possessive girlfriend.

"No, no…I just thought for a second you were someone I knew."

Cheyloe chuckled, taking a seat next to April and sitting her purse on the bar. "Oh really? Never thought I'd give that impression to people. Waiting on a friend?"

"Yeah…a friend." April nodded, biting her tongue. "He's coming over to give me notes for chemistry…he'll be here any minute."

"Chemistry…I remember taking that." The brunette mused. "I always hated having to balance equations; most of them never added up! But it's nice you've got a friend to study with you; nowadays it's hard to find friends like that."

At that statement, April couldn't help but smile, despite the emotions stirring within her. "Yeah, it is…I wouldn't trade him for the world, even with all that's happened."

Right then, the two saw Murakami set before them a tray of pizza gyoza and a bowl of pork ramen, both steaming-hot and ready to eat. Cheyloe offered a grin before taking a pair of chop sticks and grabbing some noodles, instantly slurping them down. April just grabbed a pot-sticker with her chop sticks, dipped it in sauce, and shoved it into her mouth.

"Ramen is so fun to eat." Chey commented after swallowing a bite of noodles. "Just slurping down the noodles and then guzzling down the soup…I know it sounds silly, but even the little things can bring excitement!"

"You seem like the type to hardly be sad about anything." The redhead noted in a lower voice than she intended. "The world could be ending and I'm sure you'd still have a smile on your face."

"Mm, maybe." The brunette mused once again. "You really know how to read people…I must be an open book!"

The curtains at the door suddenly parted, followed by someone mumbling something intelligible. The third person scratched at his shell before stating, "Sorry I'm late April, I had to rewrite some of my notes because Leo-"

Donatello stopped mid-sentence when he looked up from the hand-written chemistry notes and saw exactly WHO was with April. Oh no…no, no, no, no, this had to be a bad dream; this had to be a nightmare! This couldn't be happening! The papers slowly dropped out of his hand as his eyes drank the sight of April sitting right next to Cheyloe. His secret…was finally out to his best friend.

"Donnie!" Chey greeted, wiping soup off of her lips. "Hey, great to see you!"

April locked her blue eyes with the turtle's auburn eyes, and he could've sworn they were boring right into his soul. "Donatello…please explain to me how she knows you…NOW."

"Wait…YOU'RE April!?" Chey gasped, her teal eyes widening at the redhead. "Donnie's told me so much about you! It's great to finally meet you in person!"

The genius turtle scratched at his head, honestly wishing someone would just kill him now. He was SO not looking forward to telling April the truth…but remembering Raphael's words, he knew had to do the right thing. Just tell her the truth and she'll understand…hopefully.

* * *

"…And that's what happened." Donnie concluded over a cup of milk tea. "That's why no one could find me for a week. I'm really sorry I had you all worried..."

"So it really was Raph's pet turtle who hurt you?" April asked in shock, a few pieces of her gyoza now forgotten as she listened to his tale. "I can't believe Spike…I mean, Slash, would do that to you!"

"Gave him a sprained arm, gashes, you name it." Cheyloe added in, sipping at her own cup of tea. "But, more than likely thanks to the mutagen in his blood…and thanks to his own fighting spirit, he recovered. I'm telling you, Donnie may not admit it, but he's so strong."

Donatello shifted, poking at the pot-stickers made for him. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that April was pretty mad at him now, or at least that's what he thought. Especially since he finally decided to come clean about what happened concerning his disappearance and the friend he made. Was she mad because he wouldn't tell her the truth? Duh, that was obvious? Could she also be mad because it seemed like he replaced her with Cheyloe? He wasn't sure, and he was honestly too afraid to find out.

"April…I understand if you're angry at me." Donnie spoke, his voice unusually soft and downtrodden. "I should've told you the truth from the start. It's just…well…"

April was mad, yes, and she wanted to yell at Donnie. However, she slowly understood why he didn't want to come clean with her in the beginning; he was afraid of upsetting her once again since her dad mutated. As she took notice of before, he felt he had to walk on eggshells with her and not say or do anything that would make her angry. And while he told his tale, Chey clearly stated that she should've called his family even when he didn't want her to. At the same time, she felt kind of hypocritical because she wasn't going to come clean about spying on him with Casey. At a later time, maybe…but not right now and not in front of his friend.

"Donnie…please…don't act like you have to constantly keep me happy." The redhead began, staring into his eyes and seeing how conflicted he was. "You were just afraid I would run off again, weren't you?"

"I…" Donnie really didn't want to admit the obvious truth; it was too embarrassing. But he also knew denying that truth wouldn't get him anywhere with April. So he took a deep breath and nodded his head. "…Yeah."

The redhead bit on her lip, making indentations in the skin, before sighing and replying, "Donnie, I will say that you should've been honest with me from the beginning and trusted me enough with the truth…but I know lately I haven't been giving you that chance. We're best friends; you can tell me anything…at least, you can now. I'm sorry I haven't been fulfilling my part of 'best friend' and letting you be confident enough to confide in me…like you can with Cheyloe."

"April…I'm so sorry I haven't been forthcoming about all this." Donnie spoke, his eyes still averted from April. "And not to be rude, but for the record, I'm not replacing you with Cheyloe…if that's what you were thinking, that is."

April was taken aback by how frank the turtle was…but even best friends had to be frank with each other. Maybe he could tell that she had that thought in the back of her mind by her body language, and made that clear so she wouldn't become possessive of him. And Cheyloe seemed like a nice person…but something about her was…off. She wanted to sum it up to the silly jealousy she felt towards the brunette, but maybe those Kraang powers of hers could do more than send shockwaves or read minds.

"It's getting late, you two." Chey spoke, gathering up the dishes. "We certainly don't want to keep Mr. Murakami from going home, do we? I'll take these to him so you can head back."

"Oh, all right." Donatello nodded, getting up and scratching the back of his head. "Be careful tonight, okay Chey?"

The brunette chuckled heartily, smiling at the both of them. "Hey, you know I can take care of myself just fine. No need to worry about little ol' me."

When Donnie let out a chuckle, April let one out as well…a forced one, though. What did she mean by that remark? How did Donnie know she could 'take care of herself'? If the turtle got hurt because of her she would… No, no, don't think those things…she probably just meant self-defense. It wasn't like Donnie ran into trouble when Cheyloe was around…right.

"April?" Donatello addressed, waving his hand in front of the redhead's eyes. "Want me to walk you home?"

April shook herself out of her thoughts and stared at the genius turtle; how long was she out of it? Nodding her head and plastering on a small smile, she replied, "Yeah…yeah, that sounds nice."

"Goodnight, Chey!" The turtle bid farewell. He quieted down when he realized April didn't voice an adieu to his friend, but considering he kept this friend a secret, it shouldn't have surprised him. "I'll drop you off at your aunt's and then get back to work-"

"Donnie…" April began, making sure they were out of the brunette's hearing range. "Tomorrow…you and I are going to continue this talk. No skipping out, got it?"

Freezing for a second at the redhead's demanding tone, the purple-masked turtle slowly nodded; great he was still in trouble after all that. However, he knew he needed a longer talk with her to discuss his increasingly-apparent trust issues with those around him. It was pretty bad when you couldn't even trust your best friend enough to tell them you made another friend…

* * *

"…Looks like the wannabe kunoichi has some competition."

Red lips formed into a smirk as the source of the biting sentence lowered her binoculars. She knew very well she was disobeying orders, but it didn't matter…she had a score to settle and nothing would get in the way of that. But…she had to admit that brunette piqued her curiosity, especially since it was obvious she and Donatello knew each other. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the O'Neil girl was seething over her; it honestly made her chuckle.

But now that the turtles, well ONE of them, had a new ally…how would she proceed? Judging from the young woman's attire, she had to be from the local hospital, so maybe she wouldn't put up too much of a fight. Still…there was something about her that the raven-haired girl couldn't quite put her finger on. Nonetheless, she pictured in her head an amusing sight of the genius turtle being caught up in a tug-of-war between the feisty redhead and that seemingly-cheerful brunette. Her thoughts stopped and she crouched back into the shadows when she noticed said-brunette looking around as though she was being watched.

"She might be a little smarter than O'Neil." Karai hissed, keeping her eyes on this new turtle ally. "But I wonder how she'll hold up as a bargaining chip?"

Of course, she wouldn't go after the new target now; that would be way too soon. No…maybe she should gather more information on Donatello's new playmate…THEN she would have all the fun in the world, and the turtles would have their heads on a silver platter.

And what better way to strike the turtles than to go after their handyman and technological backbone?


	14. Embers, Part 1

**Author's Note: Just when I thought I would have the next chapter sooner, writer's block struck again. That aside, this is probably the longest chapter so far, and it takes place right before Wormquake. The next one will probably be either during Wormquake or right after. Probably going to go with during. But Donnie and April have an argument over his secrecy, leading Donnie to reveal some of his innermost feelings. Once again confiding in Cheyloe, they end up being surprised by some uninvited guests. What will happen to them? Read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Embers, Part 1

"So April knows now, huh? 'Bout time Donnie told her."

"Dude, she looked mad goin' into Donnie's lab. You think she's gonna leave again?"

"Mikey, we've been through this. April's not leaving again. Stop worrying about it."

The three turtles kept their chatter in low voices as they stood outside of Donatello's lab door, trying to make out what was being exchanged between the genius turtle and April. Donnie only had to say a few words for them to find out that the redhead was now fully aware of Cheyloe's existence. And by his tone…well, April seemed okay on the outside, but even they could tell she was seething beneath the surface, though not as much as they believed she would. Still, what would be more awkward than your crush and your 'secret' friend meeting each other without warning?

The confrontation didn't happen the night Donnie went out to give April the notes, but they knew something was going to go down once April and Casey got out of school the next day. They didn't know if it was because April didn't want to ruin the night for either of them, or if it was just too late in the evening, but once the redhead strolled in beside Casey, she made a beeline for the lab and told Donnie they needed to talk. All of them, especially Raph, were curious to know if this would help or work against their brother and their best friend.

Inside the lab, Donnie did his best to not let his discomfort show by, of course, working on his latest batch of retromutagen. But as April spoke, he tuned in; just because he was working didn't mean he ignored her. Though he had to admit her way of speaking reminded him a lot of Leo's famous lectures, and he usually tuned out of those. April, he couldn't tune out, especially when she made it clear that he'd better listen and listen well. That didn't mean he didn't have an opinion, too.

"Donnie, I know you and your brothers don't get along all the time, but that's still not an excuse to not call any of us!" April scolded, hands on her hips. "What, were you trying to punish them for-are you even listening to me!?"

"Yes April, I'm listening." The purple-masked turtle replied snippily. "No offense, but you don't have brothers; you don't know what it's like when we got at each other's throats! And what's with the 'us'?"

April's jaw slacked open at that remark before she closed it and gritted her teeth. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

Donnie sat down his chemicals and waved his hands in the air. "Oh, you don't remember what happened that night your dad mutated? If I recall correctly, you said that you never wanted to see us again and told me not to touch you like I was the PLAGUE!"

Yeah, she did say that, and she still regretted it. But Donnie didn't have a right to hold that against her anymore; especially not to justify his refusal to contact anyone during his disappearance. The way he said it made it seem like he now blamed her for everything that happened. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry about that!? I was mad, okay? People say stupid stuff when they're mad!"

"Whatever…" The genius turtle muttered, turning back to the chemicals. "I need to get back to work on this."

"That's another thing, have you even been working on the retromutagen lately? Or were you too busy hanging out with Cheyloe to worry about my dad?" April accused, pointing her finger at him. "I bet most of those trips to the junkyard were just excuses to go and have a soda with her or something! You don't even care about curing my dad! I bet you're not working on the cure to punish me for leaving!"

Donnie's eyes widened at her accusation, and it seemed to confirm a deep-seeded fear in his heart. So…that was all he was good for, huh? He slowly turned back in April's direction, letting out a deep breath through his nose and staring up at her. The redhead could see the anger in his face masking the pain he tried his best to hide with his knowledge.

"You know what, April?" Donatello asked calmly, getting up from his seat. "You don't get to decide who I'm friends with…neither do the guys or Master Splinter. You certainly don't see me trying to keep you from being friends with that puckhead! You think I go to see Cheyloe just to bum food or a drink off her?"

He pinched between his brows and spoke in a strained voice, "You have no idea the pressure I'm under to find a cure for your father, Timothy, Master Splinter, ALL of the people who were mutated because of US! I can't share any of that with my own brothers because they don't get it! I'm the one who has to fix everything that's broken! I'M the one who has to come up with the gadgets to keep our heads attached to our necks! I'M the one who has to make sure this team SURVIVES! What have YOU been doing besides getting a few lucky shots at Karai and trying to pretend that you live in a perfect little world!?"

April's jaw fell open once again at her friend's strong words, and he cut her off before she had the chance to reply. "You wanna know WHY I go to Cheyloe? It's because unlike you and my brothers, she **listens**. She doesn't make fun of my feelings, and she doesn't blow me off and focus on her own feelings…she sits and listens to what I say. And you know what? It takes some of the stress off my shoulders and gives me more resolve to make things right. For once, I found a friend who doesn't treat me like a little errand boy. But hey, at least you still have your heroic little hockey player, right? Who knows? Maybe he can whip you up some retromutagen lickety-split! Because as far as I'm concerned, all of you are unappreciative assholes!"

Donnie, having gotten those feelings off his chest, abruptly stormed out of the lab, brushing past a stunned April and ignoring the shocked expressions on his brothers' faces. Right now, he just wanted to go into his room, take his pillow, scream into it, and then try to smother himself with it. Why did he have to empty all that out? Why did he have to yell at April!? Maybe it was time to go and dig a hole to bury himself in somewhere in the sewers… So much for his chances of hooking up with the redhead in the future…but he knew that wasn't the core issue.

He was tired of being the handyman. He was tired of being the pushover. He was tired of being Donatello.

* * *

"Whoa…that bad, huh?"

"I don't know why I said all that…I guess I was just stressed out. But April wasn't making it any easier for me…"

"Donnie, remember what I told you…"

"I know, I know…don't dump all the negative stuff about April onto you. But, I mean, you've already met her! She just sees me as her little work horse and expects me to have the cure for her dad with the snap of her fingers! What kind of friend is that!? And my bros are no different…"

Cheyloe fell silent after that comment, using her foot to lightly move the swing as she sat in it. The duo occupied themselves at the playground and basketball court, since Donnie didn't feel like being on the rooftops this time. He sat in the swing beside her, keeping his eyes glued to the ground, the only sounds coming from him being deep breaths. She understood what it was like…fighting with a friend you thought took advantage of your generosity. Things like this either got worked out or the friendship was terminated. She hoped the latter didn't happen to Donatello, so she would do her best to help him resolve his conflict with April. That's what friends were for, right?

"I've avoided talking to her for three days now. Everyone else, too." Donnie admitted in a somber voice. "She's tried to approach me to talk, but I just walk past her like she's not there. It's immature, I know…but right now, I don't feel like hearing what she has to say."

The brunette curled her fingers around the swing chain, staring at the turtle intently and pursing her lips together. "Give yourself time to cool off, then talk with them; you can't avoid the matter forever. I hope things heal between all of you. I mean, you're looking to make the retromutagen for the right reasons, aren't you?"

"Of course…no doubt about that." The purple-masked turtle replied with a nod. "We screwed up with that mutagen spill…we mutated not just Mr. O'Neil, but countless other people. If I can perfect the retromutagen, then I…we can give people their lives back…lives we unintentionally stole from them."

"Donnie…don't shoulder the burden alone." Chey began, reaching over to gently place her hand on his shoulder. "If there's anything I can do to help you, never hesitate to ask. Need me to look for those mutagen canisters? I'll volunteer to look all night!"

Donatello felt a smile creep onto his lips as he used the heel of his palm to wipe at his eyes. He already started to feel better, and while he knew she wouldn't tell him everything he wanted to hear, it was better than her deciding to suck up to him. "Thanks, Chey…you should probably make advice your new profession." Joking aside, he got up from the swing and held out his hand for her. "Want to get a quick bite at Murakami's?"

The brunette gladly took his hand and got up out of her seat, smiling all the way. "Of course…but I'm buying this time, got it?"

The two exchanged a laugh as they exited the playground and headed for the rooftops, since the streets were starting to fill up with people going to work or kids with too much free time. Donnie already had it mapped out in his head: get some pizza gyoza at the noodle shop, maybe get a hot coffee at the stand on the corner, chat for a bit, then see each other off. Then he would get back to his lab and think over what she said so he could finally get something figured concerning April.

April would always be his first human friend and his first crush, but that didn't excuse her from taking advantage of his generosity. Actually, none of them had an excuse to take advantage of his giving nature. So far, the only ones who didn't take advantage of that aspect of his personality were Splinter, Mr. O'Neil to an extent, and Cheyloe. It honestly made him feel disheartened thinking about it, but he couldn't let that show in front of his friend...but he knew he could turn to her about it without being judged.

"So did you hear on the news about the mini-earthquakes?" Chey suddenly brought up, stuffing her hands into her coat pockets. "I didn't think New York could get earthquakes…"

"Actually, I have heard about that." Donnie replied calmly. "Though it's unusual concerning the number seismologists recorded…"

"I hope the tremors haven't hit you and your family in the sewers…"

The two kept speaking on the matter of mysterious earthquakes, retromutagen, and random topics of the day until Donatello suddenly stopped. Cheyloe noticed this and wondered what was going on, but she suddenly got the feeling that something wasn't right. The atmosphere…something changed it…something BAD. The genius turtle slowly unsheathed his Bo staff and held it tightly in his grip, preparing to attack whoever or whatever gave him such an eerie feeling. Nothing happened, and Donnie instantly felt silly and paranoid…until an all-too-familiar shuriken embedded itself into the top portion of his staff. That followed seconds later by mechanical shrieking…

"Oh no…" Donnie squeaked as the black-uniformed menaces approached. "Foot Bots!"

"Donnie, what are those things!?" The brunette yelped, backing up behind the turtle.

Donatello wasted no time in grabbing Cheyloe's wrist with his free hand and dragging her behind him in the opposite direction. "I'll tell you later! I gotta get you somewhere safe!"

He didn't mean to sound like she couldn't take care of herself. But these weren't Purple Dragons; these were Foot Clan robots that could slice her in half! He had to hide her somewhere and then take care of the Foot Bots. He learned from last time that if he even left ONE, it would track his friend home and finish her. He wouldn't let that happen…he wouldn't lose anyone else again. In a swift motion, he hoisted Cheyloe onto his shell and jumped down to the alley.

"You stay here!" He commanded, letting her down and leading her behind a dumpster. "I'll give you the okay once I've got 'em!"

Once Donatello disappeared back to the rooftops, Chey couldn't help but poke out of her hiding place, wishing to protest. She counted how many there were; five total. And he was going to take them all on by himself? She wouldn't let that happen. Whether he liked it or not, she was going to help him. Reaching into her coat, she pulled out something she kept on her person whenever she walked the streets alone…a .38 caliber pistol. If aimed at the right spot, a slug should be able to bring those things down.

"I'm not letting you take those things on alone, Donnie!" Cheyloe mumbled to herself, rushing out from behind the dumpster to reach the fire escape. Right before she could reach the ladder, something landed in front of her with a mechanical shout. "What the-"

Uh-oh…she missed one. And now she found herself shuffling backwards until her back made contact with the front of the dumpster. And as she watched the Foot Bot unsheathe a circular saw, her panic rose and her eyes widened from the sudden rush of adrenaline…

* * *

"Seriously, Donnie was WAY too hard on you!" Michelangelo huffed. "He shouldn't be complaining while you dad's still a mutant!"

Raphael seemed to nod in agreement, leaning against the water tower with crossed arms. "I can't believe he chose ta whine about not getting appreciated! He's gotta learn to suck it up and realize the world doesn't revolve around him! Where does he get off saying WE'RE assholes!?"

"But…" April began, staring out into the night sky. "But he was right…he's been working so hard on the retromutagen, and me breathing down his neck hasn't been helping. And I've just been acting like a possessive brat over him being friends with Cheyloe. I mean…don't you think he deserves a break? None of us have exactly gave him the chance…even with all he's done for us."

The three turtles fell silent over that remark. Donnie did do a lot for them, everything he could so that they could survive and have a stable living. They always figured that he did it without any expectations; just doing it out of love for his family and friends. But did they REALLY appreciate it? They remembered things Splinter taught them as children, one of them an old saying that went like 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'. Admittedly, they never understood the true meaning behind it until Donnie did things for them to improve their quality of living and battle against the Kraang and Foot. When they were kids, they always thought whatever Donnie made-a toy car, new coils for the oven, a generator-were awesome. Now it seemed like they, particularly Leo and Raph, had to nitpick over every new thing their brother created. And really, they had to confess to themselves that as soon as he came back from his week of absence, they expected him to get back to work on the retromutagen pronto…with no time to get settled back in.

"Still…you brought up a good point, April." Raphael interjected, not wanting to feel guilty for treating his brother like a workhorse. "He doesn't need to be runnin' to Cheyloe every time we make him upset! I mean, if he does that, what good are we?"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, we aren't the most stellar listeners!" The redhead adamantly shot back. "I had to read his mind to get a hint about Cheyloe! And you know why? Because we haven't given him enough confidence to confide in us! You guys either make fun of him, or I go on and on about how MY life is horrible! He can't even talk to Master Splinter because WE eavesdrop! So why wouldn't he go running to someone else!?"

Raph was once again about to retort when something in the distance caught his attention. Several rooftops away, he was able to see someone entangled in combat with figures in black…figures that had swords for hands. And the poor sap having to fight them looked a lot like…

"Guys, Donnie's fighting Foot Bots by himself! We gotta help him!"

Everyone unsheathed their weapons and proceeded to race for the rooftop to help the genius turtle. If it had been maybe two or three Foot Bots, the turtles wouldn't be worried so much. But there were five of them, and so he needed some assistance. April trailed behind the turtles, tessen in hand, until she felt a pain in her head. Great, those Kraang powers had to act up NOW? All she saw followed by the sharp pain in her skull was a vision of a flash of fire and the feeling of something plowing through her head. What was that? She could ponder on it later, though; Donnie came first!

As for Donatello, he managed to get one of the Foot Bots down for the count, but didn't have time to dodge a shuriken that flew past his shoulder, giving him a deep cut. He didn't have time to look at the wound; he had to beat these things and make sure Cheyloe was okay. So he kept on fighting the Foot Bots and ignoring the pain in his shoulder. But, as usual, these things got smart and began to dodge his moves. No, he had to beat them! He could do this! He could take care of things without his brothers or April breathing down his neck and telling him what to do! But still…

Was trying to prove his worth to his family…worth being killed over?

Trying to come up with the best plan on how to take the Foot Bots down all at once, the genius turtle stopped his thought process when he saw the blade of a katana go through one of Foot Bots' heads. His auburn eyes instantly widened the moment he saw his eldest brother pull his sword out of the robot's cranium and hold it threateningly towards the other robots. The others appeared behind him, readying their weapons.

"W-What…" Donnie sputtered, staring at the group in shock.

"We're not letting you fight alone, Donnie!" Raphael firmly declared, stabbing one of the Foot Bots with his sai. "And for the record, we're not **complete** assholes!"

Before the genius turtle could speak further on the matter, he watched his brothers and April begin to tackle the remaining Foot Bots while he nursed his shoulder. Raph finally took his down by piercing it in the chest with both sai, Mikey used his signature kurisagama chain to hack his Foot Bot in half, and, to his surprise, April took her opponent down by using her tessen to slice the head clean off. As much as he appreciated being helped, he also didn't like that he still appeared weak compared to everyone else. He closed his eyes to collect his thoughts, and when the others approached him, he suddenly turned around and flung his bladed Bo Staff at something. The others were startled by this action…until they got a good look at what the staff hit.

Typical…there was always an extra Foot Bot in hiding.

With the Foot Bot deactivated, Donatello quietly strolled up to it and pulled his staff out of its chest, pulling the blade back and sheathing it. He turned to his brothers and April, not sure of what to say; what could he say after the way he spoke to April and about his own brothers? Well…saying something was better than saying nothing at all… "Guys, April…I…"

The redhead was the first to stop him from saying more, stepping forward to look him in the eyes. Instead of the fierce anger that occupied her eyes before, there was now a calm and…regret? It was time to resolve this now and they both knew it. Taking a deep breath, she began, "Donnie…I've not been the best friend lately. You've been doing everything you can to cure my dad and other mutated people…I haven't even been making an effort to look for him. You were right…I've been so caught up in pretending my life is normal and getting caught up in my own problems that I didn't see how much has been put on your shoulders…"

"No…April…I'm not right." Donnie murmured, looking down with remorse. "I should've never said those things to you…I was just so stressed out by the retromutagen and worried about how you thought about my friendship with Cheyloe…I-I just snapped and took it out on you."

"But D…" Michelangelo decided to cut in. "You were right about us, too. W-We don't appreciate you like we should…well, mostly Leo and Raph, but I'm guilty, too. All the stuff you do for us, we just find a reason to nitpick and nitpick about it. We ARE assholes…"

To their surprise, the genius turtle feverishly shook his head. "Mikey…Mikey, no. I should've never called you guys that…I'm so sorry…"

"Donnie, listen." Now it was Leo's turn to speak. "We should've been better brothers and, well, not laughed at your problems. I just always thought you handled it better than others…but I thought wrong. I've been the worst at treating you like a handyman than my own brother. Really, I've been treating all of you more like troops than family. I…I'm sorry, Donatello."

Everyone cast their eyes upon Raphael, who responded by puffing out his cheeks and crossing his arms like a pouty child. But this façade wasn't going to work; he had to own up to all he did lately. "Look, Donnie…if there's anyone here that's been a true asshole, it's me. I guess…I guess I'm still beatin' myself up over what Slash did to ya. And Mikey was right…you've done great stuff for us, but I still find fault in what ya do 'cause…well…I've always been a little jealous of how smart ya are. You can turn garbage into something great! Me…all I know is how to break everything I touch."

As Donnie was about to comment on that, he suddenly gasped and his eyes went wider than dinner plates. "Oh no…Cheyloe! I almost forgot about her! I-I'll be right back!"

Leaving the others confused, Donnie rushed from the rooftop to the street, making sure it was clear of humans, to find his friend. He hoped she stayed in her hiding place and that no Foot Bots followed her. Wait…what if one of Shredder's goons was behind this? What if they found her and…

"Cheyloe!? Where are you!?" The purple-masked turtle desperately called into the alleyway.

"Donnie!?" A voice called back, and seconds later, Chey emerged from the alleyway, rubbing at her eyes and panting.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Donatello rushed over and grasped the brunette's shoulders, checking her for any damage. Other than her eyes looking a little reddened and swollen, she looked all right…but he still wanted to make sure she didn't get ambushed. "Thank goodness…you're all right! Come on…let's get you home. The Foot Bots are all gone now."

Chey offered a simple nod, walking alongside the turtle to meet up with the others. He would finish his explanation on the Foot Bots to her once they were with everyone else and finish up any more apologies that needed to be exchanged. Then he would get her home, check her for any cuts or bruises, and wish her a good night. However, if Donnie had actually went into the alleyway to look for his friend, he would've noticed something out of place…something that would've made him take a second look at his friend's capabilities.

He would've noticed the deactivated Foot Bot consumed in flames, sporting a bullet-sized hole in its head…

Up on the rooftops, Leo and April kept watch for Donatello and Cheyloe, ignoring Raphael and Michelangelo arguing about something concerning the Foot Bots. The redhead narrowed her eyes when she cast them upon one of the alleyways, feeling a sense of dread creep into her mind. She crossed her arms and let out a long-held breath, catching Leo's attention.

"Something bothering you, April?" The blue-masked turtle questioned quietly.

The redhead shook her head, seeing Donnie and Chey coming into view. "I don't know, Leo. Something…just doesn't feel right."


	15. Embers, Part 2

**Author's Note: Finally got this one up! And I want to wish all of you a Merry Early Christmas, just in case I don't have the next chapter up by then! All right, so this chapter takes place, like the previous one, right before Wormquake and also a bit during Wormquake, and it'll be a little retelling of it to fit in with the reveal concerning Cheyloe. We get to see the reveal, and it'll be fully explained in the next chapter thanks to a certain reporter. Also have some Karai action and April slowly getting along with our new friend. But the big question is: how will Donnie handle this reveal? Well, keep reading and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 15: Embers, Part 2

"So those robots are part of that Foot Clan you told me about? I knew I shouldn't have let you fight them alone!"

"Cheyloe, they're robots equipped with everything from katanas to buzz saws! I wasn't going to let them kill you-"

Donatello stopped mid-speech to hiss in pain as alcohol was applied to the cut on his shoulder. He took that as a sign to quiet down and allow Cheyloe to continue her work of patching him up. His brothers and April sat and watched, the redhead shuffling her feet nervously at being in the brunette's home. The others just sat casually at the table while sipping on bottles of water. Cheyloe finally finished applying bandage wrap around the cut and keeping it secure with medical tape, clapping her hands together in satisfaction.

"Done!" She proclaimed in triumph. "That should heal up in the next few days. Just don't-"

"Don't aggravate it or get debris in the wound, right?" Donnie finished, wearing a wry smile. "I figured you would say that."

Raphael was the one to roll his eyes, which earned him a jab in the side from Leonardo's elbow. But still, how could Donnie be so casual after all the stuff that happened? Maybe it was supposed to be that sense of comfort his brother felt at being in this apartment instead of the sewer lair. It irked him, but considering his track record for the older brother occupation, he couldn't exactly blame him.

"Now, it sounds like there's been trouble brewing between all of you." Chey began, placing her hands on her hips. "So if you're going to resolve things, you may as well do it now."

The genius turtle winced at the command, but since he spoke of the matter with his friend, he knew he had to finish what was started about half an hour ago. He took a deep breath and turned his attention first and foremost to April. "April…I'm sorry I bashed on you and called you unappreciative. I'm also sorry about insinuating stuff between you and Casey."

The redhead glanced up at her friend and gave a sad smile. "Well, it was pretty hypocritical of me to dog on you and Cheyloe, when you did none of that with me befriending Casey…even if you aren't ready to be friends with him yet. And…I'm sorry I haven't been doing more to help with your research or help everyone who's been mutated. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

"Yeah…if you can forgive me, too."

With that condition spoken, Donatello and April leaned into each other for a hug, a good sign that all was forgiven. Michelangelo sat starry-eyed at the table and cooing like a fanboy, Leonardo and Cheyloe expressed relieved smiles, and Raphael made a gagging motion at what he deemed was the 'greatest display of sap'. With the hug ended, Donnie turned his attention to his brothers, clearing his throat and averting his eyes for a split-second. "And guys…I'm sorry for the things I said about you. We may not get along all the time…but us being brothers and loving each other won't change."

"We're sorry too, Donnie." Leo spoke on behalf of himself and the others. "For giving you such a hard time when all you've been doing is making sure we survive. Me…I should've been less of a leader and more of a brother when things were getting bad for you."

"Not to mention you going gaga over Karai." Mikey cut in, crying in pain a second later from Raph smacking him upside the head. "But if it helps Donnie…I won't bother you so much in your lab anymore so I don't stress you out."

Raph pulled his hand away when he caught a disapproving glare from April, of all people. Letting out a huff, he spoke in a soft voice, "…And I'm sorry for bein' a jerk to ya…like, the King of Jerks. So, next time in training…I'll give ya full permission to clobber me. Don't hold back."

Donnie offered a laugh before smirking and crossing his arms. "Don't hold back, huh? I don't know Raph; you may end up regretting that declaration when the time comes."

The temperamental turtle had a smirk of his own on his lips. "Don't gloat just yet, Brainiac. We're not training yet, are we?"

April offered a chuckle at their light banter, but soon turned her attention to Chey. She felt bad just looking at her because of her accusations towards Donnie, and the bitterness she felt before about the brunette, in her mind, replacing her. But now she knew that she had to stop with the self-righteousness and be a woman about this. She cleared her throat and spoke, "Cheyloe…um…I wanted to thank you. You know…for taking care of Donnie when he was hurt. And…and listening to him. You do a better job of listening than I do."

Was she going to laugh and say it was nothing? Was she going to berate her for not listening to the turtle in question when he needed it? No…instead, Cheyloe held out her hand to April, which the latter took before rising from the sofa. Blue and teal eyes locked with each other, but the brunette spoke words completely unexpected.

"April…friendships aren't perfect." Chey began. "Donnie told me about what happened to your dad. Sometimes, bad things happen and, well, you get so caught up in yourself and your need for some sort of stability…you hurt others without realizing it. I don't think you had any intention of hurting Donnie. No matter how hard we try, we can't control everything around us, can we?"

The last sentence of that statement both astonished and bewildered April. It almost seemed like the brunette directed the comment both to the redhead and…herself? But she was right; bad things happen, and her anger caused her to turn her back on her friends. Even after rekindling her friendship with them, she still hurt them, especially Donnie…just by not doing enough. Not just for her friends, but for her dad and other people mutated by accident. Well that would change starting now; no more pity-parties and certainly no more turning from her friends. And with that internal declaration…

"Cheyloe, you're a nurse, right?" April suddenly asked, fidgeting her fingers. "I only know basic patchwork, but if it's okay with you…could you teach me how to do some of the advance stuff?"

"W-Well…I suppose I could teach you more on patching wounds and CPR and stuff!" The brunette chuckled bashfully, not thinking anyone would want her as a teacher for anything of that sort. "I'll teach you…but only after your dad is back to normal so I can get his permission."

"Right…right." The mention of her father made the redhead visibly cringe, but she knew Cheyloe was wishing to take a responsible approach. After all, who was to say April wouldn't eventually have to give one of the guys a shot of medicine? "Thank you, Cheyloe."

Giving a nod, the brunette shifted her attention to everyone. "You guys should get home. And be careful…I certainly hope you don't run into anymore of those Foot Bots."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Leonardo agreed, getting up from his chair and throwing his water bottle away. "You should be careful, too. If the Foot Bots were willing to attack you both…"

Donatello took notice of Cheyloe suddenly rubbing at her eyes, which looked to have a reddish tint from irritation; dryness, maybe? She didn't start doing that until after she ran out of the alley, but maybe he was just overthinking things. Hearing Leo make mention of the Foot Bots attacking her made him shoot from his seat and cut his brother off. "E-Enough talk about Foot Bots tonight, Leo! We don't want to give her nightmares!" He noticed the brunette quirk an eyebrow and let out a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry…um…goodnight, Cheyloe!"

Chey waved at Donnie and the others before they made their exit, leaving her alone in the apartment to mull over the night's events. Once again rubbing at her eyes, she blew her bangs out of her face and took a deep breath. She was more than glad that Donatello didn't wander into the alley and find that extra Foot Bot. If he did…well, what would he think? Kaitlyn's words replayed in her mind as well; keeping this from the turtle just made her into a grade-A hypocrite.

But HOW was she going to tell him the truth?

* * *

"Dudes, I can't believe that Commander Blaze turned out to be half-alien! Sure, it explained that eye-trick she could do, but still!"

Leonardo rolled his eyes at Michelangelo's comments on the latest SRMFF episode, but he couldn't help but join in on it. "I think the person more surprised than you was Dr. Blip. All this time, his friend wasn't who he thought she was…"

"The sad part was, even after everyone else didn't trust her anymore, Dr. Blip still wanted her to know he still considered her his friend." Donatello spoke wistfully, recounting how the episode went from hardcore-action to pure angst in 3.5. "I really felt sorry for the both of them."

"Ya know, you guys can geek out over the show later! We are on patrol, remember?" Raphael snorted, using the tip of his sai as a makeshift toothpick. "I hope we run into the Princess of the Foot Clan so I can have my fist make merry with her face!"

Leo seemed to recoil from that statement, more so when the others began to share their distaste towards the kunoichi in question. Letting out a deep breath, he folded his arms and stared at the soda billboard where he first encountered her. What his brothers didn't know was that Master Splinter shared with him a valuable piece of information concerning who Karai really was, and even now he still reeled from the impact of the revelation.

Karai was in fact the long-lost Hamato Miwa. Splinter's daughter.

Oh boy…how was he going to share this with his brothers? He kept the secret to himself for a while, but didn't know why Splinter trusted him alone with the information. Maybe the rat sensed that he wasn't the most hostile towards her, though after the attempt on Shredder's life, that relationship was null and void. So what would happen if they fought again? Would it be a good idea to tell HER? Would she even accept the dose of reality?

Well, he was going to get that answer.

In that moment, Leo was met with a tanto blade aimed right for his head, though he reacted quickly by unsheathing his katanas and using them to block his attack. Here he was…now face-to-face once again with Oroku Karai. He looked to the side and saw Rahzar and a few Foot Bots scuffling with his brothers. How did they pull off an ambush like this? Were they being followed? No time to dwell on that, though.

"Long time, no see, Leonardo!" Karai greeted, her red lips curving into a sinister smirk. "So, any new friends you or your brothers wanna tell me about?"

Was she talking about Casey? That thought ran through Donnie's mind while he and Mikey brawled with Rahzar. Before he could add his input, Leo cut him off by saying, "If you're thinking about hurting April and Casey, you're-"

"I'm talking about Donatello's new friend!" The kunoichi corrected. "Seems like O'Neil is pretty jealous of her, eh 'Donnie'? Kind of funny picturing her and the brunette in a cat fight!"

The genius turtle froze at that statement; was she spying on them the night April first met Cheyloe? A second later he felt himself be pushed out of the way by Mikey when Rahzar launched his claws at them, but the shock of Karai's confession still had him afraid…afraid for his friend.

"If you so much as touch a hair on Cheyloe's head…" Donnie warned, holding his Bo staff in a death-grip. He scolded himself mentally for revealing her name, but if Karai so much as looked at his friend, he wouldn't hesitate to take her down. But before he could get a head start…

"Karai, listen to me!" The lead turtle shouted. "Oroku Saki has been lying to you all your life! He's not your father! You're Hamato Miwa…Hamato Yoshi's daughter!"

The other turtles and even Rahzar stood still at Leo's sudden outburst. This was expected from Karai as well…but against what Leo hoped, she merely snorted and rolled her eyes, declaring, "You'd come up with any lie to save your own skin, Leo! The only thing I care about is having you beg for your lives!"

Karai had Leonardo pinned to the ground, but before she could strike a death blow, the rumbling started. The turtles lost count of how many of these quakes occurred in New York, but they started just a few days ago and got stronger and stronger as the days went by. This one was much stronger than the previous ones, strong enough to weaken the water tower on the building they were brawling on…with Karai being in the path of it should it fall. And wouldn't you know it, that's what it did. If the thing fell on her, it would kill her in an instant. Of course, she didn't count on the blue-banded turtle pushing her out of the way.

"LEO!" The red-banded turtle cried out as the tower finally collapsed. He promptly ignored Karai and Rahzar making a getaway; Leo was top priority right now. He and the others began digging through the debris, and to their relief, Leo was only partially-buried and still conscious. But he was upset, and not because the fight got interrupted…

"She's gone…" Leo lamented, pounding his fist on the roof. "I thought she would listen…"

"Leo, what's this about Karai being Splinter's daughter?" Raph interrogated, pulling his brother out from the rubble. "Did you get hit in the head or something?"

"We have more important things to worry about!" The purple-banded turtle interrupted in a frantic tone. "These earthquakes are getting stronger by the hour! And…and Karai knows about Cheyloe! She knows I know her and that April knows her and now she'll be a target, too!"

The orange-banded turtle put his hands on his brother's shoulders. "D, D, calm down! Let's go back to the lair for now…then we can go check on Chey and warn her about Karai and Rahzar. Maybe Master Splinter'll let us bring her to the lair to keep safe."

* * *

"Yeah, I know, I need to pick up a case of cola for the break room party. Don't worry, I have it covered. Honestly, should we even be having this party with the earthquakes?"

Cheyloe went on with the conversation, the other person on the line seemingly oblivious about what happened lately in the city. And her coworker was supposed to put the well-being of others before themselves as a fellow nurse! Her conversation halted mid-way when another one of these dreaded tremors occurred, causing her to drop her phone onto the sidewalk. The device didn't break, but there was an instant disconnect on the other end when she examined it. The quake made her heart race, and her thoughts went to the turtles…especially Donatello. Were they okay? Was their home safe?

"…I should probably call them and make sure they're all right." The brunette murmured.

As her thumb went to punch in Donnie's number on the screen, the phone suddenly vibrated with the indication of a new text message. Curiously, Chey accepted the message and pulled it up to read.

 **Donnie: Meet me on the rooftops! URGENT! ASAP!**

The message was from Donnie…and it had to be urgent. Well, it was time to get to the rooftops and see what was up. Hopefully, she wouldn't run into more of those Foot Bot things…or worse. But no time for jinxing! She wasted no time in rushing up the fire escape of the nearest building and got on the rooftop of the music store, looking out for Donnie. Her fears began to erupt in her mind; was he injured in a fight again? What if it was worse this time? Taking a deep breath to steady her thoughts, she glanced around until something washed over her.

Dread…and…what was this smell? It smelled like…blood and metal.

At that moment, she felt something strange poke her in the back, making her blood turn to ice. She knew right away this was not Donnie…and it didn't seem to be a Foot Bot, either. Slowly turning her head, her eye caught someone she didn't recognize. Right behind her…a raven-haired girl in a metal uniform, pressing some strange blade to her back. The unfamiliar girl smirked, which made Cheyloe even more uneasy.

"I'm looking for some turtles." The stranger spoke casually. "I think you might know where to look for them."

"…Didn't your parents teach you it's not nice to threaten people with blades?" Chey retorted, hardening her gaze. "If I were you, I'd put that away and go home."

Eyes narrowing at 'parents', the girl offered a snort and pressed the tip harder against the brunette's back, getting some glee out of hearing the young woman grunt in discomfort. "I'll be honest…you can't tell me what to do. You're not in much of a position to make me listen." She paused to lean forward and whisper into her ear, "You wouldn't want Donatello seeing you sliced to ribbons, right?"

Oh no…how did she know Donatello? Could it be that this rude girl was part of that 'Foot Clan' Donnie mentioned a few times? Well, she did have a look that would suggest 'assassin'; 'killer' was a better word, in her mind. But she wouldn't show fear. Taking a deep breath, she gave the kunoichi another glance and replied, "You won't follow through with it, will you? The intent isn't in your voice. You're just flat-out talking out of your ASS."

At that comment, Cheyloe found herself forcibly turned around to face this kunoichi, who now held the tip of her blade right between the brunette's eyes and gritted her teeth. Of course, she hid it well with that red-lipped smirk. But now it was clear talking alone wouldn't be the solution to getting out of this mess, and Chey was the first to admit that she was no match against an actual ninja. Not unless…

"I tried being nice, you know." Karai spoke lowly as her smirk faded. "If you just told me where Donatello and his brothers are, I would've just let you go home without many scratches…but now I'll just have to use you as bait. I would've used his redheaded princess as a token, but fresh meat usually goes better."

"Well, if this is how you treat strangers, I'd hate to see how you treat your friends." Chey retorted snippily, slowly reaching into her coat for something. "That is…if you HAVE friends-"

"Cheyloe!? Where are you!?"

Chey gasped at the sound of Donnie's voice in the distance calling for her, while it made Karai plaster on a menacing grin. Just like with April O'Neil, the genius turtle was an idiot when it came to rescuing a girl or woman. They both looked in the distance and saw the turtle in question bolting around the rooftops, and he wasn't alone. Michelangelo was with him, too, and that made Karai's day even more. Shame it wasn't Leo with him, but they would do for now. With that, the kunoichi grabbed the young woman by her jacket and held the tanto blade up to her neck.

"Cheyloe!" Donatello cried out, finally seeing his friend…though not the way he wanted to. "Karai!? Let her GO!"

"But we were just having a nice chat, Donatello." Karai pretended to whine. "But she's a stubborn one, you know? Certainly doesn't tell people what they want to hear. But even that gets boring after a while…I can let it slide, though." She dropped Chey on the rooftop, holding the tanto over her forehead, and pulled a shuriken from her belt. "So she can live long enough to see you SUFFER!"

Donatello and Michelangelo froze in their tracks, not knowing fully what Karai had in mind. And here just half an hour ago they were told by Master Splinter what Leo blurted out was true; she really was his daughter. Donnie admitted the revelation was hard to stomach, and Mikey just focused on the fact that they have a sister. The former could even agree with Raph that the heavy influence of Shredder's raising of her would make her hard to accept. Sister or not, Donnie wasn't going to stand by and watch the Foot Princess kill his friend and confidant. However, that would be hard if she would be killed just by taking a step forward, so neither of the turtles drew their weapons. But just as Karai was about to chuck the shuriken into one of their skulls…something happened.

And that something was a sudden flash of fire hitting the kunoichi's hand, making her scream and drop the shuriken.

That was followed by the Foot second-in-command dropping to the rooftop, thanks to having her legs knocked out from under her. Donnie stood shocked by what just happened; where did that flash of fire come from? His eyes immediately went to Cheyloe, who now yanked the tanto from Karai's hand and held it in front of her, though she fumbled with it and threw it down a second later. Did that really come from…did Cheyloe really…?

"If you lay a hand on them…I will not hesitate to beat the living daylights out of you." Chey spoke lowly. It was right then Donatello took a look at her eyes. Her eyes were severely reddened, including in her irises; wait, even her irises? When they started to water from the apparent irritation, the tears looked as though they scalded the skin of her cheeks. He paid no heed to Karai pulling off her scorched gauntlet and glove, as his brain still tried to process what just happened.

Rubbing at her eyes, she finally turned to the turtles and saw the expressions on their faces. It made her heart drop into her stomach; now they knew her secret. And so did this 'Karai' girl. Donnie looked so terrified…what could she possibly say to him to make him see her how he saw her before? Before she could utter any words, Karai made a retreat and Mikey came forward to collect her.

"C-Come on…let's get you to the lair so she won't hurt you." The orange-banded turtle spoke softly. "D, we need to go!"

Donnie stood still for another moment, but finally made himself follow behind his brother and friend. But now he had to figure out exactly how Cheyloe was able to do that. It reminded him of a movie they watched as a kid…it was called 'Firestarter' or something. And once they got to the lair, he would brace himself to have a serious discussion with her and what she hasn't been telling him. But he wouldn't act mad about it, or at least try not to. After all, she always made it clear that he could come to her for anything. Well now it was time for the roles to be reversed.

It was time for him to tell her that she could come to him for anything.

* * *

"Father, I swear, the turtles have a new ally and…well, she did THIS!"

Oroku Saki stared at Karai's hand, which presented scalded skin in large patches, now covered with fresh bandages. This was just one of many things he had to return to after his months away in Japan. First was the newly-mutated form of Chris Bradford, one that, while hideous, proved much more formidable. Then there was Baxter Stockman sporting a mutagen-laced detonation collar, Kraang resources wasted on some teenage girl, and now some claims of fire appearing out of thin air. Of course, this could all be placed upon Karai's shoulders, and he wouldn't tolerate teenage rebellion.

"You tell me that this woman simply made fire appear from thin air, Karai?" The Shredder spoke in a tone of annoyance. "Do not try to dodge the blame of your own foolish mistake."

"But, Father-"

"Do not talk back to me, Daughter!" The armored ninja thundered, slamming his fist on the armrest on his throne. "Yet again you fail to eliminate even the weaker turtles. That is why I have come back with someone who will prove successful."

Karai narrowed her eyes, both at her father not believing her and the way he belittled her recent track record concerning the turtles. Yes, she knew that she wasn't even supposed to be engaging him while her master was gone, but her thirst for vengeance was so great she promptly ignored those orders and, well, the power of temporary leadership went to her head. But now he was essentially replacing her? Who could be better?

"…And who would this someone be, Father?" She asked in a grinding tone.

Shredder didn't answer; instead he watched as the doors to the throne room opened and someone entered. That someone revealed themselves to be none-other than a tall, tiger-like humanoid dressed in something resembling a bounty-hunter's uniform. Guns and the like were strapped to his waist and his backside revealed a stump of what used to be a tail. So…Karai was to be replaced with a mutant, of all things? She had to admit that she found this thing intimidating, but to be replaced by a mutant had to be the greatest insult! The kunoichi bit her tongue for now, though…when the opportunity came, she would get the turtles and their fire friend, too.

"The deadliest assassin in all of Asia…Tiger Claw."


	16. Tremors

**Author's Note: Wow...this is certainly the longest chapter I've ever done. But so much happened in Wormquake that I didn't want a lot left out. Anyway, what we have here is Kurtzman giving information on what exactly is going on with Cheyloe, a moment between her and Splinter, and some Tiger Claw action. I also made Donnie act a little more civil towards Casey, and more on how everyone else is acting with the recent revelation. The next chapter will have a lot of Karai in it, and I will say that stuff will go on that'll make Karai question everything Shredder told her even more. Reviews are welcome!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Tremors

Things certainly went from bad to worse. Donatello sat solemnly in a chair, hands folded in his lap, as he and April made themselves at home the best they could at Jack Kurtzman's apartment. Everything that happened hours ago officially blurred together in his mind. First was the dimensional gateway to different worlds, one of them having alternate versions of himself, his brothers, and even April and Casey; that April looked kind of cute in the jumpsuit. To top it all off, he, April, and Casey ended up getting separated from the others, taken prisoner by the Kraang, and almost fed to giant, mutagen-oozing worms! If he heard Kurtzman correctly, the creatures were called the Kraathatrogon. Giant Space Worms suited him better, however.

And now they were cut down one man. Casey had the horrible luck to be devoured by one of those things when they went to escape the subway tunnels. April was completely devastated. If the others were with him, they would've expected him to jump for joy to know that the threat to his pursuit of the redhead was eliminated…but that wasn't true. He also felt himself devastated by the fact the puckhead got eaten, and flaunting the turn of events in front of April would crush her even more. Now they had to devise a plan to avenge Casey, stop the worms, and reunite with everyone else. But where to start? How do you stop gargantuan alien worms that lactated mutagen?

Well, it wasn't exactly on the topic on how to stop this madness, but…

"Kurtzman…I know you're a huge expert on the Kraang. So I was wondering if you could give me some insight on something." Donatello began quietly.

"What sort of insight are you needing, Donatello?" The reporter questioned, leaning forward.

Donnie scratched the back of his neck, watching April staring at the floor in grief, before continuing, "Well…a few hours ago, a friend of mine got attacked by a member of the Foot Clan. You know, the ones allied with the Kraang. Karai was about to kill all of us, and then this flash of fire appeared out of nowhere and scorched her hand. I think…the flash of fire came from my friend, Cheyloe. Like, from her eyes."

Kurtzman knitted his brows together for a solid moment, but, to the turtle's confusion, a smile appeared on the man's lips. "Oh, I see you've met a superhuman!"

"Wait, did you say…superhuman?" Donnie repeated the term incredulously.

"There are quite a few terms to describe someone of her condition…metahuman, pseudo-mutant, Supers…but superhuman is usually the one to stick." Kurtzman explained. "Did she disclose to you how long she had her abilities?"

Donnie paused on that question, making his mind go back to when he and Mikey brought her to the lair after Karai's attack. He and his brother were both freaking out over what just happened, though they didn't show it. While Mikey explained to Splinter, Leo, and Raph what happened, the genius turtle took her to the lab…so he could get some answers.

* * *

 _Three hours earlier…_

 _"_ _Cheyloe…what exactly happened back there!?" Donatello cried out, both of his hands gripping his head. "I-I have no scientific explanation for how fire could just appear out of nowhere and specifically target Karai's hand! And your eyes, the way they were reddened and the skin was scalded, I-I mean, it had to come from you!"_

 _"_ _Donnie, calm down, please!" Cheyloe commanded, hands up. "Just…just sit down and I'll tell you everything. Just trust me."_

 _Trust…that was something considered sacred between them in the short time they knew each other. Donnie knew this well, and he knew not to blow that off out of panic. Sure, her keeping whatever this was from him was definitely frustrating; after all, he was a mutant turtle in a city full of mutants and aliens. But acting angry wouldn't resolve this matter…sitting down and listening would. Following her advice, he sat down on the stool at his desk, took a deep breath, and began._

 _"_ _All right Cheyloe…what was that? And how long have you been able to do that?"_

 _The brunette wrung her hands together in her lap, taking a deep breath as well, when she started to explain. "I've been able to do that…for about four years. I don't know exactly what set it off, but those years ago…I got sick. Terribly, I might add. High fever, temporary blindness, vomiting…even seizures. The symptoms lasted a day…I woke up the next morning feeling as though nothing happened."_

 _"…_ _But something did happen, didn't it?" Donnie asked softly._

 _Chey nodded at that question. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you I used to wear glasses. When I woke up that morning, I realized I could see without them; my eyes actually hurt putting them on.. Not just that…but my sense of smell got stronger, and my hearing felt sharper than ever. And then I accidentally set the carpet on fire by staring at it…"_

 _The genius turtle suppressed a chuckle at that remark and kept his expression calm and collected. Inside, however, he slowly found himself overwhelmed and even amazed by the information. Was it possible that she was a Kraang experiment and didn't know it? What else could explain her developing these abilities? He was about to inquire further when the brunette cut him off._

 _"_ _Donnie…I'm so sorry I never told you about this from the beginning." She apologized whole-heartedly, looking ready to break down into tears. "I just…I know it sounds silly, but I didn't want you to be afraid of me. I didn't want you, or your brothers, or Splinter or April to be afraid of me!"_

 _A moment passed before the genius turtle let out a snort and a short chuckle at that remark, which had Cheyloe befuddled. Recollecting himself, Donnie gave in reply, "No offense…but I'm a mutant turtle in a family of mutants. And you thought I'd be afraid of you in that way? I-I mean, I was afraid of you in the beginning, but it was because you were a stranger to me. Doesn't it seem, well, hypocritical to think I'd be afraid of you afterwards when I'M a mutant?"_

 _"…_ _Kaitlyn told me the same thing." Chey concluded, nodding her head and feeling ashamed._

 _Right then, Donatello did something that caught the young woman off-guard. She watched as he took her hands into his and looked her in the eyes; normally she would be doing that with him if he were troubled. She went to open her mouth, but the turtle cut her off. "Cheyloe, I'm still overwhelmed by the fact that you have abilities I can't explain…but I'm not going to let that change the fact that we're friends. April has psychic powers…so you're not any different in my eyes, okay? However…no more secrets with us, okay? If we're going to be friends, we have to be honest with each other. Sound like a fair deal?"_

 _Cheyloe stared into his eyes, stunned by his words, until a smile broke out on her lips, following with her giving him a warm hug. "…Sounds like a fair deal."_

* * *

"So…this Cheyloe girl's primary abilities are visually-enhanced pyrokinesis and heightened senses, possibly strength as well." Kurtzman concluded. "Truthfully, this doesn't surprise me, Donatello. There are more superhumans besides her."

"…There are?" April asked, drawn into the conversation despite her current mood. "They aren't…Kraang experiments like me and my mother, are they?"

The reporter shook his head. "Not exactly. Superhumans gain their abilities through random genetic mutation; some parents carry the gene for mutation, but it's up to chance whether or not the child gets it. External factors can also play a role in it. For example…superhumans don't have to be exposed to actual mutagen to gain their abilities, but…"

Donatello sat up in his seat and concluded, "…Mutagen radiation can be a contributing factor."

"Correct, hence why one name for them is 'pseudo-mutant'. Considering how long the Kraang have been on Earth, and how much mutagen they've used in that time, the radiation from mutagen contaminating water and ground sources could've affected thousands of bloodlines. It could even be a simple evolutionary factor; no one knows the direct cause. But, like I said, it's all up to chance…and this Cheyloe just happened to be one of them to get the genetic mutation card."

As Donatello and April both processed the information, giving each other a glance. Would it be possible for Cheyloe to use these abilities she had to help them stop the Kraathatrogons? All it would take was a call and she would rush out of the lair to help. Speaking of which, they had to get back on topic on how to stop those monstrosities from literally driving New York into the ground. The turtle began to think on the physiology of the creatures when he accidentally knocked over a salt shaker sitting on the table. Wait…of course! Why didn't he think of that sooner?

"Salt!" Donnie proclaimed. "We can stop the Kraathatrogons with salt!"

"…Salt? I mean, I get what you're saying Donnie, but…salt!?" April asked incredulously right before her T-Phone began to go off. She paused in her skepticism to pick it up and answer, "Hello? C-Casey!? Casey, is that really you!?"

The genius turtle shot up from his seat and stared wide-eyed at April. "Casey's alive!? Casey, if you can hear me, you sure do have a lot of dumb luck!" Turning back to Kurtzman, he added, "We're gonna need some salt, Kurtzman, and stat! I just hope the others have everything under control…"

* * *

"No! Donnie told you to stay in the lair with Master Splinter, and that's final!"

"In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Splinter isn't here! And since you flat-out told me that Karai poisoned him, I'm going to give him the medical attention he needs!"

Leonardo crossed his arms, unimpressed with the bravado displayed by the brunette as they stood outside the building that was Foot Headquarters. Things were already bad enough as it was without her coming unannounced. They had no idea where Donnie, April, and Casey were, they got trounced by some mutant calling himself Tiger Claw, and now Splinter was inside Shredder's lair suffering from poison and possibly being tortured! He knew that Cheyloe meant well, but, as Donnie put it, she had no experience whatsoever against a member of the Foot Clan. Apart from that encounter with Karai, which the blue-banded turtle still had trouble processing after hearing the tale.

When he, Raphael, and Michelangelo had to retreat back to the lair after their sensei's capture, Cheyloe was there wondering exactly where the rat went. And once she heard that the Foot Clan, especially Karai, was involved, she was adamant in performing her duty as a nurse and going to heal him, even if it meant possibly getting killed. Raph felt it was enough when she doctored Mikey's arm, and Splinter could handle a little poison, right? At the same time, he was worried and angry. Angry that Splinter sacrificed himself for them. Angry at Leo for calling Splinter in the first place. Angry at himself for letting his brothers get hurt to the point that Leo had to make that decision. But most of all, he was angry at Tiger Claw and Karai, especially Karai. He didn't care that she was their long-lost sister; she was Shredder's little princess.

"Cheyloe, listen…it would be best if you went to the lair and kept an eye out for Donnie and the others." Leo calmly suggested. "You don't stand a chance against the Foot Clan, especially not Tiger Claw. He's too dangerous!"

"Lay off her, dudes! She's just trying to help!" Mikey defended. "Besides, she can set them on fire! That can help out, right?"

The red-masked turtle let out a huff, throwing his arms into the air. "She's just gonna slow us down-"

"Raphael! I've been polite and kept quiet for Donnie's sake, but now's a good time to tell you to shut up and listen!" Cheyloe barked, gritting her teeth and placing her palm onto her forehead, brushing back her bangs in exasperation. "You may not think so, but I'm not dumb enough to rush into a place full of ninjas half-cocked and flat-out reckless! At the same time…I will not stand by and let someone suffer and die when the power is there to save them! I want to make sure you guys don't lose your father…just like I made sure you didn't lose your brother."

Raph opened his mouth to give her a piece of his mind, but whatever words he had in his mind to come out of his mouth disappeared without a trace. Despite the fact she didn't know them for a long time, the declaration that she wanted to keep Splinter alive for their sake floored him. Truthfully, before April and Casey came along and even though Splinter used to be human, Raphael thought that all humans were just self-serving, back-stabbing creatures. Maybe it was from watching too many cheesy drama movies, or maybe it was from the warnings Splinter gave them growing up, but even now his view on humans came through a negative filter. And yet here was one wanting to preserve their family.

"Look…just bring him to me so I can check him over and get the poison out of his system." Chey compromised quietly. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure he's okay."

Before Leo could give his declaration, the temperamental turtle spoke up and firmly replied, "That sounds better. Shredder and his goons'll probably come after us once we get 'im…but we'll cover you." Turning towards the accursed Foot Headquarters building, he turned his head back to the brunette and softly added, "And…thank you…for helping Donnie and wanting to help Splinter."

Cheyloe gave a nod and a small smile, standing by the billboard on the structure they were on. "Just be careful. And just come back alive, guys."

With three nods, the turtles left the brunette to wait as they began their work of storming Foot Headquarters. Her smile now gone, Chey started looking around the vicinity, wondering what became of Donnie, Casey, and April…hoping and praying they were all right. She also prayed that the others would get Splinter out of there without incident. Raph was right…other than Karai, she had no way to stand up against the elite of the Foot Clan…but that didn't mean she couldn't contribute some sort of help.

* * *

 _CLANG_! _CLANG_! _CLANG_!

Donatello grunted with each sound, furiously banging his Bo staff against the subway tracks to the point of it on the verge of snapping. He and April were back in the subway tunnels, the latter standing by with containers full of iodized salt ready to use against the thing they were trying to attract. That thing, of course, being the Kraathatrogon that decided to make a meal out of Casey. April was, to say the least, incredulous about the idea of using plain-old salt to try and stop the creature, but the genius turtle explained how salt, like with slugs, burned through the neurosecretory cells like acid. The Kraathatrogons shouldn't be any different, right?

Only one way to find out, and here it came.

"April, the salt, NOW!"

Fumbling in the bag at first, the redhead produced one of the containers of salt and tossed it in the air for Donnie to whack like a baseball and hit the worm square in the face, causing it to screech. That was a good sign, but it wasn't enough. Much more would be needed for a worm this size, and this one was supposed to be a child worm! Giving a nod, April threw another container for Donnie to hit. Then another, and another, and the worm was still coming at them full-speed. Even all that salt wasn't stopping it? As if that were bad enough…

"Donnie, we're out of salt!" April panicked, hands scraping the bottom of her bag.

Oh great…what were they going to do now? Worrying about potentially becoming worm food like the Kraang first intended for them, the purple-masked turtle suddenly remembered something. He reached into his belt and pulled out the salt shaker he knocked over on Kurtzman's coffee table. Taking a deep breath, Donnie threw the glass shaker onto the ground, breaking it and leaving a pile of salt. April caught on to this, taking out her tessen and fanning the salt towards the worm. With the cloud of salt hitting the Kraathatrogon, it finally stopped and let out another shriek. When they thought the worm was about to die…out from its mouth came a flood of vomit and a certain puck-head.

"Casey!" Donnie and April exclaimed in unison.

Letting out a groan, Casey got to his knees and then his feet, spitting out some worm-bile he accidentally ingested. Shaky and slightly-disoriented, he greeted, "…The smell can be washed out, right?"

"Oh, Casey!" April cried out, rushing to give him a hug before smelling the air and backing away. "Ugh, Casey…we need to rinse you off ASAP! But…I'm so glad you're okay!"

Casey gave a chuckle, picking at his ear for any leftover worm slime. "Well, y'know, not even a giant space worm can stop Casey Jones."

Donnie couldn't help but roll his eyes; now was the time they chose to get all mushy with each other? At the same time, he smiled knowing that someone April cared about-and he to an extent-was safe and sound. If one of his brothers got swallowed by that thing, or April, or Cheyloe, he would go absolutely crazy. He took the moment to notice that there were reddish abrasions on the vigilante's skin, probably caused by the acid in the worm's stomach. Nothing some aloe couldn't fix. But as he thought before, this wasn't over…

"Uh, I hate to break up the reunion…" Donnie began, looking behind them. "But we have big, HUGE, GIANT PROBLEMS!"

Three pairs of eyes went towards the room where the worms originated from and three mouths gaped open. Along with several Kraang droids, there was a giant portal and, to their horror, a Kraathatrogon profoundly larger than the one they just face emerging from said portal. It was obvious that the worm was big even for the portal, and the Kraang struggled to pull the creature out. With no more salt and no backup, there was no way they could take that thing on! Not unless…

"I've got an idea." Donnie spoke quietly. "I need the both of you to create a distraction for me, okay?"

April quirked an eyebrow over the word 'distraction'. "A distraction? What are you going to do exactly, Donnie?"

Unveiling a smirk, the genius turtle confidently declared, "I'm going to reverse the polarity on that portal and send that worm back where it came from."

* * *

Splinter was definitely in terrible shape.

One moment ago, the turtles came flying out of the Foot Headquarters carrying a frail-looking Master Splinter in tow. Just as expected, the Foot Clan mutants and Karai herself gave chase to the enemy clan. But it looked like Shredder wasn't the type to get his own hands dirty. At least, that's the impression Cheyloe got when the group returned to where she was. It had to be a miracle that the rat was still alive; maybe they only used enough poison to debilitate him. Either way, it was best she got to work on getting him well.

"Thank goodness, you're out!" The brunette breathed out in relief, allowing Splinter to lean on her. "Mr. Splinter, it's me, Cheyloe. Let me help you get that poison out of your system…"

"You do not need to concern yourself with that, woman." A deep voice boomed.

The turtles and Chey looked to see who was leading the mutant brigade to finish them off. So…this was the giant mutant tiger the guys mention…Tiger Claw, right? He was just as intimidating as described, if not more. She would've fired off a snarky remark to him for looking down on her, but that wasn't priority: Splinter was. Gritting her teeth and glaring at him, her expression softened when she saw Leo, Raph, and Mikey stepping between the Foot mutants and their friend and master.

"Chey…go take care of Sensei." Leo directed, narrowing his ocean-blue eyes. "We'll take it from here."

Giving a quick nod, the brunette watched the turtles engage the mutants as she dragged Splinter to back area of the rooftop, leaning him up against the stairway entry and getting out her first-aid kit. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know exactly what type of poison was used on him to give him the proper antidote. She did, however, notice abrasions on his wrists that could've only come from chains. Raising the rat's head up, she began addressing, "Mr. Splinter? Mr. Splinter, open your eyes and look at me! I need you awake so I can treat you! What kind of poison-"

"That…will not be necessary…" Splinter spoke weakly, opening his eyes halfway to stare at the young woman. "I…I can get it out…"

"What?" She asked in disbelief. "B-But how will you do that? I should have an antidote that'll work! Please, save your strength!"

To her astonishment, Splinter reached up and placed a weak hand onto her shoulder, cutting her off from saying anymore. The rat gave a grunt, forcing himself into a sitting position, before adding, "…You…have a good heart…and…I know you wish to help me…because of that. But…even your advancements in medicine…cannot always keep up with the way of the ninja. Please…save your supplies…for my sons."

Cheyloe glanced over her shoulder to see the turtles still engaged with the other mutants. The dog-looking mutant and fish-looking mutant were down, but they were struggling against Tiger Claw. She wanted to step in to help, but what good could she do? Actually…if she couldn't give Splinter medical treatment, she could at least cover him for whatever he had to do. So as he sat in what she recalled was the 'lotus position' or whatever…

"…All right, but I'm going to stand guard." She resigned. "Do whatever you need to do, Mr. Splinter…I trust you."

As of now, Leonardo found himself engaged with Tiger Claw while Raphael and Michelangelo began tackling with Karai, the latter two faring better than the former. Tiger Claw was so strong…it reminded the blue-masked turtle of the time they faced Shredder. Back then, though, their cockiness did them in, and it turned into a painful lesson on how arrogant they were. Not anymore, though…tonight, they would win. But Leo quickly wondered if they simply bit off more than they could chew. That ran through his head when the tiger mutant had him pinned and prepared to shoot him in the head with his blaster. Great…he was going to die without finding out the condition of his friends and Donnie…he was going to die without giving Splinter and Karai a proper reunion.

Then…

 _BANG!_

Leo squeezed his eyes shut…but the blast never came. Instead, he saw Tiger Claw shout in pain and back off, holding his ear. The tiger mutant removed his hand to reveal that something grazed his ear, making blood drip down the side of his face. The turtle's eyes and tiger's eyes went to Cheyloe, who had a .38 caliber pistol grasped in her shaking hands. Raph, Mikey, and Karai paused in their struggle, the red-masked turtle's mouth hanging open.

"She…freakin' shot Tiger Claw." He mouthed in awe. "She's got a gun…"

Shaking his head and flinging blood in different directions, Tiger Claw stomped past Leonardo and glared angrily at the brunette, setting her as the new target of the blaster for inciting his wrath. The young woman kept a tight grip on her pistol despite how terrified she was, and she closed her eyes, preparing to squeeze the trigger once again. Before either of them could fire a shot, Tiger Claw immediately met with the asphalt of the rooftop thanks to a strong force. And what was that strong force? None-other than Master Splinter, no longer suffering from the effects of the poison. The turtles, Karai, and Cheyloe stared in disbelief, especially the brunette.

"W-What did he do?" She dared to ask. "How'd he get back on his feet!?"

Splinter offered a smile in her direction. "Meditation is not just for clearing the mind, Miss Doggett."

It was right then that the quakes plaguing New York came back with a vengeance, the strongest they had ever been. Everyone on the rooftop fought to keep their balance, but Karai was the first to drop off of the structure, to the shock of Splinter. Raph paused and listened to the panicked voices of the denizens of New York, some shouting and others screaming, until another sound caught his attention: cracks. Everyone looked down below and saw the ground actually **cracking**. Great…the ground was finally going to cave in on them. Despite what was expected, something actually burst out of the ground. A giant…worm? And on top of that worm was…

"Is that…April and Casey!?" Raph spat.

The shock of the two teens playing cowboy with a giant worm evaporated, Tiger Claw armed his jetpack and went to shoot at the turtles and others on the rooftops, not realizing that all the fighting exposed a faulty wire in the device. Splinter and Cheyloe took notice of this, the latter feeling her eyes begin to burn. The rat pulled out one of the many shuriken engraved with the Hamato Clan symbol and flung it at the jetpack, knocking more of the plating off, while the brunette narrowed her eyes at the wiring…which followed by the wiring popping and catching flame, to Tiger Claw's horror. The jetpack deactivated and the tiger mutant began to plummet…right into the Kraathatrogon's waiting mouth.

A few cheers were expressed by the turtles, until they noticed the worm began to slink back into the hole it came from. Or rather, it was being sucked back into the hole like a vacuum sucking up dirt. And April and Casey were still on the thing's back; how were they going to escape? Aside from the stuck teens, the worm going back was all part of the plan…a plan concocted by Donatello.

The turtle watched as the worms slowly entered the portal into whatever dimension it locked onto; he didn't have any control over that. And right before the biggest of the Kraathatrogons entered the portal, he looked in horror to see Casey and April about to be trapped in the vortex. In an instant, he swung out his Bo staff, and the teens instantly grabbed on. As the biggest worm came closer, the purple-masked turtle used all his strength to pull them out of the vacuum of the portal, with the final worm going into the gateway. With the alien worms and some of the Kraang gone, the portal deactivated and fell apart in a small explosion.

"That…was…close." The genius turtle panted, lowering his Bo staff.

To his surprise and relief, April leaned next to him and enveloped him in a hug. "You did it, Donnie! You save the city!"

Casey gave a grin and a nod. "I'm gonna take back everything I said about you, Donnie. You rule!"

Donnie smirked and gave the vigilante a fist-bump. "Thanks, Jones. You're not so bad yourself."

* * *

"Donnie! April! Casey!" Michelangelo cheered, running up to the three and hugging them.

Donatello, April and Casey readily accepted the hug from the orange-masked turtle, finally happy for a reunion after what seemed like forever. Leonardo and Raphael couldn't help but join in; who wouldn't after having been forcibly separated from each other. It was obvious after tonight, they would be happy to never see another alien worm again. Donnie was the first to let go from the group hug to spare a glance at Splinter, and who it was beside Splinter.

"Cheyloe?" He gasped softly. "D-Did you…"

The brunette shrugged and offered a lop-sided smile. "Well, I DID manage to get a shot at Tiger Claw."

The genius turtle couldn't help but chuckle, though he immediately went over and wrapped her in a hug of his own. He didn't notice April's smile dropping slightly when he initiated the embrace. After spending a moment hugging and laughing, Donnie pulled away and asked, "Cheyloe…is it true that you're a superhuman."

Chey froze for a split-second when he spoke that term; how did he learn the exact term for what she was? She would ask later; it was time to keep being honest. No more secrets, after all. So she offered a nod and confirmed, "Yeah…that's what I am. And…it's not just me, Donnie. The other ones are familiar faces, too…"

Donnie tilted his head to the side for a second, but his eyes widened and his jaw dropped open when he figured out what she meant. "Oh no…you mean Anna and Kaitlyn are…"

"Yep."

"No way, they're superheroes, too!?" Mikey gasped, wearing a starry-eyed expression. "It's like being friends with the Justice Force!"

Raph gave a snort, but a smile was on his face. "I gotta admit…superhero sounds better than superhuman. Maybe you should start donning a cape and leotard."

Ignoring the temperamental turtle's teasing, Donnie stared at Cheyloe, chuckling nervously, before speaking again. "I have to admit…this is going to take some getting used to. But…it won't affect our friendship, right? Honestly…it just makes everything that much more interesting."

In great relief, Cheyloe grinned, trying to hide the tears that threatened to spill out. Before she could say anything else to the others, her phone started going off in her pocket, prompting her to pull it out and answer it. "Hello? Anna, what's wrong?"

"Cheyloe!? Thank God, you picked up!" Anna spoke in panic. "We saw what happened from the apartment! What in the world is going on!?"

The brunette glanced over at Donatello, who offered a smirk. Wearing one as well, Chey offered a light-hearted chuckle and spoke just one sentence.

"You have no idea."


	17. Free Time

**Author's Note: Yet another long chapter, and they'll probably be like this from now on. Now to avoid confusion, this chapter is telling about two events taking place at the same time. The first is some interaction time between Donnie and Raph, something I wish there was more of in the show, and the second is with Cheyloe and a certain kunoichi. The next chapter will have a mix of events after "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman" and "The Wrath of Tiger Claw". The next chapter will also start dropping information about the guilt Cheyloe feels about an event in her past, while Donnie once again weighs his feelings about April. Please read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 17: Free Time

Donatello rubbed at his throbbing eyes after spending approximately three hours staring at the computer screen without turning his gaze away. Training that morning put him behind on logging his latest results on the retromutagen…and the results before that and etcetera. But that wasn't the only thing that had him glued to the lab computer. He also spent those three hours doing research on superhumans. How many there could be in the world, what made them the way they were, and how they blended in to society in the way mutants couldn't.

That didn't mean he didn't accept Cheyloe and her friends' status as superhumans; far from it. But the way his mind worked…he just had to know how THEY worked. How they could do what they do and keep it hidden from other humans. Chey didn't disclose what abilities Anna and Kaitlyn possessed; according to her, she wanted it to be a surprise. That made him even more curious in his research, and maybe there was an even greater connection with the Kraang. Or superhumans were, in the words of Bob Ross from the old cable reruns, a 'happy accident'.

He thought for a moment about calling her and asking for a sample of her blood. He wasn't going to turn her into his personal guinea pig; that wasn't his intention whatsoever. Actually, he wanted to see how her blood would do as a possible ingredient for retromutagen. But he already had so much used on April's blood, and it was actually producing some results. He knew he was getting closer to the cure, and before long all the mutagen victims would be cured! Especially Mr. O'Neil and Timothy…and Master Splinter.

As for the mutants working for Shredder…he was unsure on whether or not to give them the mercy of returned humanity. After all, they didn't exactly act humanely when they were still human, so why should he give them the precious retromutagen and let them be comfortable with themselves again? Sure, the retromutagen would make them slightly-less dangerous, but they would still be dangerous nevertheless. They would still work for the Shredder…they would still hurt innocent people…they would still be a threat. So what would Donatello do? He would let them suffer in mutated forms. As cruel as it sounded, considering what they put him and his family and friends through, they deserved it.

"Donnie?"

The genius turtle turned to the source of the voice and found Raphael, his arms crossed over his plastron, leaning against the lab doorway. Okay, this was officially weird…why wasn't his hot-headed brother coming over and demanding something from him? Or forcibly dragging him away from the computer? Something was definitely up, and he smelled Leo or Splinter's involvement. "Uh, hey Raph. Is there something I can help you with?"

Raph uncrossed his arms and walked a little bit closer to his brother. Donnie braced himself for whatever could happen, noticeably flinching in response to being approached. But when Raph stopped halfway, he was baffled, to say the least. He opened his mouth to inquire until the red-masked turtle cut him off.

"Donnie…you've been working on the computer for a while, doin' research or whatever." Raph began, the gruffness normally in his voice not present. "I'm surprised yer eyeballs haven't exploded in their sockets from so much starin'."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, brother dear." The purple-masked turtle quipped nonchalantly, sarcasm oozing from his voice.

Gritting his teeth, Raphael took a deep breath and cleared his head; this wasn't the time for an argument. After clearing his throat, he went on to say, "I'm serious, Donnie…ya gotta get up an' stretch your muscles for a while. So…wanna hang out?"

If Donnie's eyes could pop out of his head like in the cartoons right now, they would. Raph…wanted to hang out…with **him**? He expected that kind of request from Mikey or April, Leo even! But Raph? Mr. I-Hate-Technobabble-and-Want-to-Punch-Everything Raph? Okay, there had to be a catch to this, because it was clearly unheard of for Raph to want to be company to the likes of him, especially with Casey Jones in the picture.

"No offense Raph…but you want to hang out with ME? I mean, I like the offer, but…wouldn't you have more fun hanging out with Casey? Or Mikey?" Donnie questioned. "Or don't you want to spar with Leo?"

With a grunt, Raph wasted no time in pulling Donnie from his desk chair, the latter letting out a yelp in protest. Did he really have to spell it out for his genius brother? Honestly, even a brainiac like him could fail to see the obvious. "Donnie, I just wanna hang out with you a little more AND keep ya from becomin' a hermit! Now c'mon, let's get some fresh air!"

"Raph, let me at least save my work first!" Donnie protested, reaching in vain for the keyboard. "RAPH!"

* * *

No Foot Bots or anything of the sort around…good. After that incident involving the giant worms and that Tiger Claw guy, the last thing Cheyloe wanted to run into during her free time was one of THEM. Unfortunately, this free time would still be spent alone. Anna left earlier to watch a Broadway production of Chicago, and Kaitlyn had to take over for a sick coworker. She thought about calling Donatello to hang out, but she didn't want to bother him when he was so close to getting the retromutagen completed. So that left her travelling by herself to her first stop: Murakami's.

She would have to tell Donnie that he got her hooked on pizza gyoza, so she would have to get him hooked on tonkotsu pork ramen. Then would be a trip to get one of those new peppermint mocha iced coffees from the local shop, stargaze for a little while, and then go back home to watch a Castle marathon. She would've went to the movie theater, but nothing great was on, and it was better to go with a date…something she didn't plan on having for a long time.

The brunette found herself parting the curtains to enter the beloved noodle shop, watching a random businessman exit the building while bidding goodnight to Murakami-san. She plastered on a smile and took a seat, holding an engraved tile between her fingers. "Hello again, Mr. Murakami!"

"Hello, Cheyloe-san!" The chef greeted. "Out late again, I assume?"

Laughing and handing him the tile, Cheyloe confirmed, "Yep, and by my lonesome. Figured I'd get a bite to eat before going home."

Murakami rubbed his thumb over the tile in question and mused, "Pizza gyoza? I suspect a certain turtle introduced it to you, Cheyloe-san?"

"You got me! But next time Donnie's here, I'll be getting him some pork ramen in exchange!" Chey chortled. "Those pot stickers are so delicious it's criminal!"

Earning laughter from the chef, Cheyloe sat patiently as he began work on her desired dish. The last time she came to the noodle shop with all her friends together was a week after moving to New York. Anna's regular became a vegetable ramen, and Kaitlyn became a sucker for hot and sour soup. Until pizza gyoza came along, hers was of course pork ramen. But Murakami was right that she developed a taste for the pot stickers thanks to Donatello. Speaking of whom, maybe she could bring him an ice-cold drink from the coffee shop once she was done here; they had some iced teas or smoothies he would probably fancy.

After a few moments of waiting, Murakami presented Cheyloe with a tray of piping-hot pizza gyoza. She licked her lips in excitement before picking up a set of chopsticks and beginning to eat, completely unaware that someone else entered the facility. As she was about to stuff one of the morsels into her mouth, her smile dropped and her nose scrunched up. The food didn't smell bad…but her nose picked up a scent that was all-too-familiar with her. It was that smell again…

Blood and metal.

"Mind if I interrupt your meal?"

Cheyloe turned around, ignoring how Murakami visibly cringed at the voice, and widened her eyes at the person addressing her. The chopsticks and pot sticker in her hand slipped out and landed on the tray, and the brunette saw the blade of a tanto resting lazily in the hand of this smirking individual.

"…What do you want, Karai?"

* * *

"So…this is how you hang out, huh?"

Donatello stared awkwardly at the hot dog in his hands, primarily due to being dumbfounded. Raphael sat next to him with a hot dog of his own and eating it without a care in the world. Getting these mystery meat sausages took the temperamental turtle donning a trench coat and fedora to even approach the hot dog stand, but he didn't seem to mind doing it for the sake of his brother. Now they sat on the edge of a rooftop overlooking, to the genius turtle's surprise, the museum. But there had to be a catch to this. Raph must be wanting something from him and did this as a form of sucking up; did he want his own motorcycle or something?

"Eat it before it gets cold." The temperamental turtle spoke, glancing at his brother's uneaten hot dog. "They're the best hot dogs this side of Manhattan."

Well, that was a matter of opinion. Nevertheless, the genius turtle heard his stomach growl in desperation for sustenance, so he forced himself to take a bite of the compacted meat on a bun. Hmm…not bad…didn't taste so much like mystery meat. He still preferred pizza over hot dogs, but this would do. His mind went once again to Raph's motivation for doing this, because this wasn't the first time one of his brothers played nice with him to get something from him. One time when Raph wanted a turn with the remote-control car he built, he brought him a hot bowl of tomato soup and promised not to hit him that whole day. Or when Mikey fixed him a special batch of pancakes because he could possibly get the T-Pod back in his belt. It was clever of his baby brother to know he enjoyed banana pancakes with a little nutmeg added.

"Okay Raph, I just want to know something." Donatello sighed, staring into the skylights of the museum and catching a few dinosaur skeletons. "Dragging me out of my lab without calling me names, buying me a hot dog, taking me to look inside the museum…is there something you want from me?"

Raphael fixated his green eyes on his brother and stared at him as though he just confessed to murdering Master Splinter. Typical…Donnie couldn't just accept that a brother wanted to do something nice for him just because. Yeah, he admitted that he used to do nice stuff for his brother because he wanted something in return, but what person didn't do that? Heck, Donnie wasn't exempt from it; he did stuff for the others simply for the sake of earning gratitude or winning April's favor. The latter often annoyed him, even now.

"What, I'm not allowed to treat my brother to something just to be nice?" He retorted while trying to keep his temper contained. "I know you're close to getting the retromutagen done, but I figured ya needed a break!"

Donnie instantly snorted. "Raph, I'm perfectly fine! I don't need a break; the sooner I get my work done, the better!"

"Ya mean the retromutagen? Or how ta handle Chey bein' a superhuman?"

At that accusation, the purple-masked turtle tensed up. Raph narrowed his eyes when he realized he hit the nail on the head. But it could've been that it was only a fraction of the reason his brother went back to being a workaholic. So he decided to go on. "No offense Donnie, but you seemed okay with April being half-Kraang. What makes Cheyloe being a superhuman any different? It's not the crush junk, is it? Why won't you-"

"You're wrong, Raph."

Donatello glanced over at the red-masked turtle, who promptly clamped his mouth shut to allow him to get off his chest whatever the truth was. And he was going to do just that. Setting his food to the side, Donnie shook his head slowly and went on, "Even now, I'm still reeling from the fact that April's a half-Kraang mutant! And where April didn't know that about herself, Cheyloe was aware of her superhuman status for four years! But…she said so herself…she was afraid of telling me because of how I would react. She was afraid I'd look at her the same way other humans look at us."

Taking a deep breath, he went on, "There was a part of me that was actually happy that April turned out to be half-alien. Because then, I thought, then maybe it would increase the chances of us becoming a thing! But then I thought about the horrors her mother must've went through for April to come into being…and April not having her mom in her life. I know it sounds shallow, but I'm also…jealous of April."

"Jealous?" Raph asked in confusion. "What're you jealous of April over?"

"Even though she's basically a mutant…she has the one thing I can never have…WE can never have." The genius turtle gritted out. "She looks entirely HUMAN. She's free to go out on the surface at any time, she's free to mingle with people, she's free to be lovey-dovey with Casey-"

"Whoa, whoa, wait up." The temperamental turtle cut him off. "Are you really that convinced that April's throwing herself all over Casey like a dog in heat? In case you haven't noticed, you're not the only one receiving mixed signals. And Casey's…well, he's Casey."

Donnie gritted his teeth. "That's a load of bull, Raph! When it gets down to it, if you had to pick a side, you'll be attached at the hip with Casey! He's the human version of YOU, after all! If he ends up snagging April, you'll just be like 'oh, sorry dork, bad boys always get the girl' or 'told you it wouldn't happen'! Because you're too embarrassed to have a 'sadorable brainiac' like ME for a brother and you'd rather have a PSYCHOTIC VIGILANTE for your brother!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!"

* * *

The air in the shop filled with enough tense energy to slice through with a hot knife. Karai kept her brown eyes glued to Cheyloe, and if she dared to move she would be staring at the blade of her tanto. But…did she really come here asking for a fight? Since that little show on the rooftop and since the battle with the Hamato clan, the kunoichi's mind still raced with unanswered question after unanswered question. Why were they so insistent in telling her that Oroku Saki wasn't her father? Why were they insisting Hamato Yoshi wasn't her mother's killer? And the young woman in front of her…even if she was an innocent, she still had affiliation with the turtles, so she was an enemy.

"No turtles with you tonight?" Karai mock-pouted. "Aww…I was hoping to see Donatello."

Cheyloe curled her lips into a sneer, narrowing her blue-green eyes. "It's rude to interrupt someone trying to eat a meal. If you're looking for a fight, forget it. You can either go crawling back to the Foot or-"

"You don't have much of a choice!" The kunoichi spat, holding her tanto up and pointing it at the young woman. "I'd like to know how you did that little fire trick the other night. Maybe if I bring you to Stockman he can-"

"Let me finish what I was about to say." The brunette growled before turning her head towards Mr. Murakami. "Murakami-san? Would you be willing to fix some more pizza gyoza for this young lady? Put it on my tab, please."

Karai's arm dropped to her side, her eyes widening and her jaw to the point of slacking open. She was threatening an enemy with possible dissection courtesy of Baxter Stockman, and said enemy asks a chef to prepare her something to eat? Even after she attempted to kill her, Donatello, and Michelangelo…she still showed her kindness? Either the brunette was really stupid or had a really big heart. A really crazy, big heart.

"…What are you doing?" Karai dared to ask, her voice quieter than usual.

"That's where I was getting to." Chey answered calmly. "You can either go crawling back to the Foot, or join me in eating pot stickers so we can get some things on the table. Beats picking a fight in a business, huh?"

Karai was at a loss…but she found herself sheathing her tanto and taking a seat at the table next to the brunette. She shouldn't be doing this; she should be dragging the fire-freak by the collar to Baxter Stockman's lab and slamming her on a metal table. She should be having her chained up and held until the turtles came to rescue her. She shouldn't be sitting down and eating with an enemy…especially not the one who burned her hand! But all of the need for combat left her mind…because she didn't know what to think anymore.

"These are really good, by the way." Chey commented, finally stuffing a pot-sticker into her mouth. "Have you tried this before?"

Leaning forward and placing her arms on the table, Karai murmured, "…You could say that."

Once the next batch of gyoza was finished and set in front of the kunoichi, Cheyloe decided now was the time to talk and maybe, with enough prodding, get through to this girl. After hearing about who she really was, it was the least she could do for Master Splinter and everyone else. "So…you think that this Hamato Yoshi is the one who took everything from you. That if you killed him, it would bring honor or whatever to the Foot Clan. Tell me something, Karai…would it be worth it?"

Karai picked up a set of chopsticks and darted her eyes to the young woman, glaring. "Why're you making it your business?"

"You're right, it's not my business…but I got involved either way." Chey admitted nonchalantly. "But you still haven't answered my question. Would killing Splinter make everything better?"

"I…I don't know…" Karai hated it when she was at a loss for words. She always had a quick comeback to everything when it was necessary, and she could've just answered with a sarcastic remark or venomous tirade…now the cat had a grip on her tongue.

"…I know what it's like to lose someone close." The brunette addressed, staring at Karai with sympathy. "And because of it, I've done things I regret to this day. Killing an innocent man won't make things better…you'll have to live with that blood on your hands the rest of your life."

The kunoichi snorted, stuffing a pot sticker in her mouth in frustration. "What makes you so sure he's innocent? Do you buy into Splinter's lies, too? You're all so gullible…"

"Who's the gullible one?" Chey retorted. "Then again, from the way the guys described him, the Shredder seems to have the gift of a silver tongue from Satan. Knowing what makes someone weak…using fear…people like that are scum that deserve to be beaten to a bloody pulp. That's just my opinion, though."

Karai now stared at her with much more intent. This 'Cheyloe' surely spoke from her mind, and she certainly didn't act like a little holier-than-thou princess like April O'Neil. The kunoichi could see it from a mile away that Donatello was head-over-heels for the redhead, even though she ignored his attempts at showing it. As much as she would toy with Leonardo, she was at least up-front and let him know about her feelings right away. This one, though…the brunette was in a whole other league. A cat fight between April and Cheyloe would be even funnier now.

"…Shredder raised me and cared for me." Karai spoke in an unusually-meek voice. "He spent all my life telling me that Hamato Yoshi is the reason our clan is broken. He's the reason I don't have a mother. So why am I starting to think that something's not right NOW?" She finally turned her face fully to Cheyloe. "If what he told me all my life really is a lie…what do I do then?"

Cheyloe released a sigh, leaning her elbow on the table and looking Karai deep in the eyes. She was fortunate to get this far, but she would still have to prod further if any true success could be made. Granted, she couldn't convert her to the Hamato Clan immediately, but still. "That's a choice you'll have to make, Karai; I can't make it for you. Deep down in your heart…I think you know what's right. Let's take a break from talking right now before our food gets cold, okay?"

Karai averted her gaze towards her own tray of pizza gyoza. Her lips were set to form an unreadable expression and still in that expression when she replied, "…I can go with that."

* * *

Donatello's mouth hung open, his body frozen in place and his auburn eyes locked onto his ill-tempered brother. Raphael took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, closing his green eyes and pressing his fist to his forehead. Did Donnie really have to go and say THAT, of all things? What was he thinking; he was supposed to be the genius! Did he just flat-out accuse him of playing favorites with Casey? Well, it was time to get that matter settled once and for all before it drove the both of them crazy.

"Donatello…" The temperamental turtle murmured, opening his eyes to face his brother. "…Are ya tryin' ta say any of us would replace you with Casey? Ya think that I would put a human over my own **brother**?"

"Raph, I…"

"No, Donnie…let me finish." Raph interrupted after holding his hand up. "Donnie…Casey is a great friend, and a loyal guy to a fault. Heck, he'd give me the shirt off his back if he could! But you're my brother…and if there's one thing ya can't replace, it's a brother. You, Leo, Mikey, Splinter…you guys ALWAYS come first. And if April decides to go with Casey…well, she doesn't know what she's missing out on with you!"

Donnie sighed as he stared at his fidgeting hands in his lap. "Raph…I know you're just trying to keep my heart from getting broken. If it does come down to it that April chooses Casey…I can't force her to like me, okay? If she does choose him, don't hate her for it and don't be cruel to her." He fiddled with the tails of his mask and added, "Maybe…it's better I get my heart broken so I can at least move on."

"Donnie, you always settle for less." Raph retorted, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. "All the years we've lived in the sewers, you made sure we had the best we could get and always left the scraps for yourself. Now you're settling for some girl not even telling you if she likes you back or not. Go for something greater and quit selling yourself short! You deserve a shot at happiness as much as the rest of us! Heck, even Cheyloe can see that!"

The genius turtle lifted his head at the mention of the brunette, but more so at his hot-headed, often-unsympathetic, brother telling him that he deserved to be happy. Raph had a point, too…growing up, he made sure his brothers and father had the best of what he built or fixed, and he often left himself with the leftovers because their happiness mattered more to him than his own. April coming into the picture made him venture into the selfish side, and look how much it helped him. So he figured that being selfish would only make people hate him and think of him as a 'creep'. It was probably okay to be selfish once in a while, but he still felt that another's well-being out-valued his own.

"…If it turns out my crush is all for nothing…what will you do? Will you say that you told me so?"

The temperamental turtle averted his gaze for a moment, trying to figure out how to answer the question without hurting his brother. Yeah, he did believe the crush would go nowhere and April would just end up breaking Donnie's heart…but it was because he saw how humans worked, and, as much as April was their friend, he wouldn't be surprised if she turned out to be no different. Still, even though he couldn't stand the thought of his brother being hurt physically or emotionally, he had to be honest with him on this.

"Donnie, I will say that I told ya so…and then I'll wrap ya up in a hug and let ya cry your eyes out as long as ya need to. I'm sorry I haven't been so supportive concerning you liking April, but don't get caught up in a fantasy that'll end up hurting ya." Raph spoke, keeping his voice firm but showing that he truly cared.

Okay, who was this and what did they do to Raphael? This couldn't be the hothead he knew for the past sixteen-plus years. But the words spoken gave Donatello new insight on a brother he thought he knew so well. For a long time, he thought Raph only understood anger and how to use it to hurt others. He always thought that Raph picked on him and the others because he thought he was above them. He always thought that when he had a lot on his plate, Raph pushed him aside because it 'wasn't his problem'. And now this brother he thought he could read like a book offered to be a shoulder to cry on if his heart ended up broken.

That brought a smile to the genius turtle's face, making him lightly nudge his older brother's shoulder in affection. "…Thank you, Raph. Really…thank you. For a hothead, you've got a pretty big heart."

The red-masked turtle snorted, but his lips curved into a smile. "I'm not so bad, Don…just don't tell Leo or Mikey we had this conversation, okay? At least…not yet."

The purple-masked turtle chuckled. "I'd say that's a deal."

* * *

"This is the quietest I've ever heard you so far. That means you're enjoying your meal, right?"

Karai looked up from biting into her last pot-sticker, wanting to tell the brunette to shut up despite finding humor in the statement. "Yeah…this is good. Tell me…do you always treat random people to food at noodle shops?"

Cheyloe laughed for a good few seconds. "Only the ones I think need it. And…you could probably say if there's an opportunity for peace."

Peace? Truthfully, that word was foreign to the kunoichi. For the entirety of her life as the Shredder's daughter and second-in-command, the concept of peace was never even a thought. Everything that was burned into her brain as a Foot ninja involved destruction, vengeance, hatred, and winning at any cost. For as long as she could remember, her father taught her that Hamato Yoshi was the reason for their misery. HE was the reason that Tang Shen, her mother, was dead. Whenever she had time alone, she always looked at the scrap of photo showing her smiling mother. What was her mother truly like, she wondered. Actually…what would her mother say to her about the need to destroy the Hamato clan, if she were alive today? Would she encourage her? Or would she be disappointed in her for being so bloodthirsty?

"I've never known what peace was like." Karai admitted. "Father always told me that wishing for peace meant being sympathetic for the weak. He says…there's no place in the world for the weak. So I grew up with similar beliefs."

"Sounds like he doesn't know the difference between parenting and parroting." Chey snorted, finishing her gyoza. "When I was growing up, my mom always wanted me to marry a wealthy guy so I wouldn't have to work or worry about money. Where's the fun in that if you can't be independent? In other words…you're allowed to think for yourself."

Karai offered a snort. "Even when he brings out the gauntlets?"

"If he really loved you, he wouldn't threaten you to get you to obey. Shows how much of a crappy parent he is." Cheyloe spoke bluntly. "You don't have to agree with everything I said…but at least think about it. Splinter's not bad like Shredder wants to make him out to be...I wouldn't lie to you about something like that, Karai."

The kunoichi got up from her seat and headed towards the doorway, but stopped right at the curtains. She turned her head so that she could face Cheyloe and spoke softly, "…Thank you for the meal…and the talk."

A smile graced the brunette's lips once again. "So, am I still an enemy?"

To her surprise, Karai showed a smile of her own when she replied, "You're technically part of the Hamato clan…but Shredder doesn't know you exist. And he won't know you exist for a long time." She finally turned her head away and exited the shop, going out into the shadows like a true ninja was destined to do. "Sayonara."

Once the kunoichi disappeared into the night, Cheyloe's smile faded when she thought more on what Karai's life was possibly like. After the giant worm incident, she inquired about what happened with Donnie. According to him, Karai was actually Splinter's daughter Miwa, snatched as a baby by Shredder after his wife died. Shredder had to be the devil incarnate, using the poor girl as a tool to kill her biological father because, as Kaitlyn would put it, the guy thought more with his dick than with his brain. Honestly, why did people have to die over stupid love triangles? Why did people have to die like that period? Well, now she hoped and prayed for the best for Karai/Miwa…that she would find out the truth and accept it.

But the meeting with Karai…what would Donnie think once she told him about it?

* * *

"I cannot believe you wanted to break into the museum just to show me a few dinosaur bones! Mikey has that collection of human clothes for a reason!"

"Hey, ya always yap about wantin' ta see fossils, so I thought you'd want ta be up close and personal!"

Donatello sighed, rolling his eyes at his brother as they hopped over the turnstiles and into the lair. Leonardo and Michelangelo busied themselves with watching television and gave a couple of quiet greetings. After feasting on hot dogs and having a heart-to-heart he never would've imagined could happen, the genius turtle figured he should go and get back to work on his experiments before turning in. The retromutagen, an upgrade for the Shellraiser, and blueprints for a Metalhead 2.0. Tomorrow he would probably call both April and Cheyloe over to help with the lab work, especially if any more blood needed to be drawn.

The moment he entered the lab, he felt his T-Phone vibrate in his belt; who could be texting him this late? He pulled it out and found a text from Cheyloe. That wasn't unusual…until he looked at the statement.

[TEXT]: You won't believe who I ran into tonight.

[TEXT]: Who?

[TEXT]: Karai.

At that name, Donnie almost let the phone slide out of his hand and hit the floor. Karai? Chey had a run-in with Karai!? He immediately had the urge to bolt back out of the lair and go check on her to be sure she wasn't hurt. He still didn't care that she was Master Splinter's daughter; he wouldn't hesitate to bring the pain if she so much as touched a hair on the brunette's head. Calm down, Donnie, maybe she got away unscathed. Only one way to find out…

[TEXT]: Did she hurt you?

He stared chewing on his fingertips after hitting the send button before a reply came up on the screen. The response brought him relief, but it also confused him and left him scratching his head.

[TEXT]: No. We just had a chat. Tried to take the scales off her eyes. We'll see.

Take the scales off her eyes? Wait, was she trying to pull a Leo? As in, trying to tell her that Shredder wasn't her dad and was using her to hurt her real dad? It wouldn't surprise him if that were the case, but for her to be able to talk to Karai about it and not be hurt…took him aback. Okay, he was even more worried now…but maybe he needed to have a little more faith in his friend when it came to anyone in the Foot Clan. Once he spoke with her again…maybe his fears would be alleviated.

Maybe Shredder would still be in the dark about Cheyloe…


	18. Panacea

**Author's Note: Well, I just want to start off by saying Happy New Year! I hope all of you have had a great and blessed 2015! All right, this chapter is during and after "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman", and the next chapter will probably be going immediately into "The Wrath of Tiger Claw"/"Vengeance is Mine", because I plan for an emotional turn of events when "The Invasion" part rolls around and for you all to see what happens during the Northampton Arc. But to sum this up, Donnie has finally gotten the retromutagen successful, and he shares AND shows the good news to Cheyloe. We also learn a little more about Anna and Kaitlyn's abilities, a fear Cheyloe has, her opinion on the cheek kisses, and a Raph and Casey moment. Please read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 18: Panacea

 _Retromutagen Log 54_

 _I can't believe I'm already up to 54. I thought I would've had more. But more to the point…_

 _I know I shouldn't be feeling frustrated, but every time I'm right at the perfect batch of retromutagen, it's snatched away from me thanks to an off-calculation or a drop too many of whatever chemical is at fault. I can't make any more mistakes on this. Mr. O'Neil, Timothy, Splinter, and countless other people…they're counting on ME. April tells me not to stress about it, but I can tell even she's impatient for the results to fit. Everyone else is telling me to 'take a chill pill', too. I can't rest, though. I have to get this done or I'll never be able to live with it being out of my grasp._

 _On a side-note…I've done more research on superhumans. According to all these documents and conspiracy websites, they've existed for longer than I expected. Some were even around during the infamous 'witch trials'. It's obvious that people used those as excuses to get rid of people they didn't like and abusing the name of God in doing so…but maybe some of those people executed were superhumans who only wanted to live a normal life. Would history repeat itself today? Would people treat superhumans the same they treat mutants? I may even have to consider that in Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt…what they considered deities may have actually been superhumans mistaken for deities. Who knows?_

Donatello hovered his fingers over the keyboard after typing that question. He glanced to the side and saw April, hunched over the counter and taking a nap. A smile ghosted his face for a moment before he went to check on the current batch of retromutagen, aka Batch 55. The substance sat hovering over a Bunsen burner, getting to the correct temperature, before he added the secret ingredient: April's DNA. The liquid changed from a fuchsia hue to a bright yellow-orange tone, while having a consistency similar to regular mutagen. But now it was time for the true test. Now it was time to see if all his weeks of work finally paid off.

He grabbed a dropper and pipetted some of the orange liquid, enough for this drop of blood he had on a prepared slide. Once he took a deep breath and braced himself, he squeezed the head of the pipette and allowed a drop of this batch hit the blood. Immediately, the genius turtle set the pipette aside and focused his eye into the ocular lens to see the reaction. Like with the previous batches, the cells quivered and seized in the liquid, so if anyone got splashed with retromutagen, they would have to go through some pain to get back to normal.

"Come on…change back…"

Donatello kept his voice low, so as to not awaken the redhead nearby. Another few seconds worth of seizing cells…said cells remained in their mutated state. A pained expression fell on the purple-masked turtle's face, and he wanted to lay his head down on his arm in defeat. Still no results…was mutation a process that could never be reversed? His worst fears seemed to be coming true: Mr. O'Neil and others were doomed to be mutants forever. He would never be able to find the cure for mutation and April would be left without a normal, right-minded father for the rest of her life. Parents would be left without their children, husbands and wives would be lost, even local bums would be stuck as freaks!

Fighting not to throw things around and go into a screaming fit, auburn eyes went back to the microscope a second after the reaction stopped. And right then…

The cells changed. The cells…the cells reverted to their pre-mutation state.

Donnie's jaw slacked open at the image broadcasted through the ocular lens, and he slowly backed away from the microscope. He couldn't believe it…he finally did it. He FINALLY made a stable batch of retromutagen! It was too much for him to keep contained; he went on to let out a cry of sheer joy, jolting April from her slumber. If he were alone, he would honestly break out into a fit of dancing to celebrate his success, but since April occupied the lab as well, he decided to save himself from embarrassment.

"Donnie?" The redhead asked in a weary tone. "What's going on?"

Donnie rushed to her, placing his hands on his shoulders and shaking them. "April…April, I DID IT! I actually DID IT! I actually made retromutagen!"

At that, April's eyes brightened and she couldn't help it when they started to glisten with unshed tears. "D-Donnie…does this mean what I think it means?"

A gap-toothed grin gave her the answer. "You're gonna get your dad back, April! Your dad's going to be human again!"

The redhead jumped out of her seat and shrieked in joy, hugging the turtle around the neck and burying her face in his shoulder to muffle the noise. Donnie instantly blushed, but managed to get himself to move and hug her back. It always made him feel great whenever April hugged him as a way of thanking him or lifting his spirits, and this occasion was no exception. It even made him want to plant a big, wet kiss on her lips…but that wouldn't be right. He couldn't just kiss a girl he didn't know liked him back or not, and it would just put a damper on her happiness. His further thoughts on the matter dropped when the other turtles and Splinter came into the lab to see what the commotion was about.

"Donnie, what's going on?" Leonardo questioned first.

Donatello broke away from his hug with April to hold up the large beaker of orange liquid, still grinning. "You guys won't believe this! I actually made a successful retromutagen! I've made enough for Mr. O'Neil and Splinter! Now they can know what it's like to be human again!"

Michelangelo pulled the beaker away from his brother and stared at the liquid in awe. "Whoa, Donnie, if we use this, will we turn human, too!?"

"No, you nitwit!" Raphael growled, taking the beaker from his youngest brother and handing it back to the genius turtle. "If it hit us, we'd turn back into regular turtles!"

"Guys, be careful with this!" Donnie whined before holding the beaker against his plastron as though it was his baby. "Like I said, it's only enough for Mr. O'Neil and Sensei! It takes about ten canisters of mutagen to make even a small dose! The only thing I want for this is to give April her dad back and let Sensei walk on the surface without any fear or shame!" Lowering his head, he murmured, "And, if it was allowed, I would…"

"You'd what, Donnie?" Leo inquired, leaning closer.

The genius turtle shot his head up, surprised his eldest brother could hear him, before shaking it. "Nothing, Leo. Just kind of talking to myself."

April, still unable to contain her glee, ran back up to the purple-masked turtle and hugged him again. "Thank you so much, Donnie! You're the greatest in the world!"

Before Donnie could accept her thanks, he immediately froze when a pair of lips made their mark on his unsuspecting cheek. Blood immediately rushed to his face, changing it from olive-green to a nice shade of beet-red. His knees threatened to buckle when they became the equivalent to heaps of jelly. And now the speed of his thumping heart reached the point that he feared he would go into cardiac arrest. April…April just **kissed** him on the cheek.

She KISSED him…on the cheek.

"A-A-April…?" The genius turtle stuttered, hovering his hand over his kissed cheek in awe.

"Donatello." Splinter interjected. "My son…though I deeply appreciate that you made enough of this retromutagen to give me back my human form as well…focus more on Kirby. Even though I no longer possess my human form, I am thankful to still have my humanity. Save the spare retromutagen for someone else."

Donatello pulled his hand away from his cheek and stared bewildered at the rat. "What do mean, Sensei-" He immediately paused and cast his eyes over towards the tank containing the frozen Timothy. The bulging eyes fixated on him despite being suspended in an icy prison, and the genius turtle's heart dropped into his stomach. Splinter had a point; he was fortunate enough to retain his ability to reason and to know right from wrong. Mr. O'Neil essentially became feral and Timothy became driven by rage. However, the things to be dealt with after the boy was cured would have to be done carefully so he wouldn't threaten their very existence.

"…I understand, Sensei." The purple-masked turtle sighed. "All right, everyone…let's go find Mr. O'Neil and give him the cure. And then…I'll cure Timothy."

* * *

"Honestly, this won't kill you. You can't wear that shade ALL the time!"

Cheyloe gave a small grunt of annoyance, but stood perfectly still as Anna applied fuchsia nail polish to her toes. Apparently, her friend got tired of her constantly sported black-polished nails and took it upon herself to make her try new colors. Yet another attempt at 'girl-bonding time'…though she admitted it was priceless seeing Kaitlyn pouting in the corner at her own cerulean-colored nails.

"It's not like anyone sees my nails all the time at work!" Chey griped. "I wear gloves just about every minute there, remember?"

"Chey's got a point." Kaitlyn snorted, crossing her arms. "But why'd ya do it to me, too!? I don't handle th' girly stuff well, in case ya forgot!"

Anna only chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You two are impossible, especially you, Kaitlyn." As she applied another coat of polish on Chey's toes, she inquired, "So…Donatello knows that we're all superhumans? You didn't exactly tell us how he took the news. I mean…he's not, well, afraid, is he?"

The brunette shook her head, casting her eyes down. "No, he's not afraid…he's just still getting used to it, that's all. But it seems shallow that we worry about him and his family finding out about our powers when he's a mutant who lives in the sewers."

The dirty-blonde shrugged her shoulders. "What'd I tell ya? The guy's fought aliens and, from his description, a walking kitchen appliance. Us being superhumans probably doesn't faze 'im that much. In fact, he needs ta call us up and have us help 'im against those freakin' aliens!"

"I heard the Kraang have telepathic connections with each other…that would be up your alley, Anna." Cheyloe mused. "And I'm sure you could handle some of the bruisers in the Foot Clan, Kaitlyn."

"What about those wayward mutants?" The ponytailed brunette questioned, capping the nail polish. "Like that one…that April girl's father got mutated, right? Donatello also mentioned mutant squirrels and some boy named Timothy. I wonder if he's managed to create a cure for them yet. Those poor people and animals, mutated against their will."

Cheyloe offered her own snort. "Well, Donnie told me that Timothy wanted to be mutated so he could be a better hero. Look where it got him…a frozen tube of goo. I hate it too that he's in that state…but the guy brought it on himself, and I hate to say it. But hopefully, he has gotten a cure down…just as long as he doesn't get exposed by accident."

Any chatter the ladies had left in them got cut short when they heard a knock on the door. It couldn't be their landlord because rent was already paid, and they certainly didn't order any food…so who was it? Kaitlyn decided to be the one to answer the door, strolling over and opening it to reveal whoever intruded on their evening.

"Hey, it's Donnie, the O'Neil chick, and…some balding guy."

"Kaitlyn, be nice!" Anna chided before plastering on a smile and greeting, "I'm so sorry, she's just miffed because she got a beauty treatment. Please Donatello, bring out guests in!"

Cheyloe turned her head towards the door and got a look at who it was accompanying Donatello and April. The two of them looked to be flushed in the face and covered in sweat; her mind didn't go anywhere in THAT area, because it was obvious to her when someone spent hours on a chase. And apparently, what they were chasing after involved the man beside them, who looked disoriented and weak. Hmm…he shared a lot of resemblance with April. Wait, was this her dad? The one who was mutated into a giant bat? So that meant Donnie…

"Cheyloe? Anna?" Donatello addressed, giving both of them a glance of concern. "This is Mr. O'Neil. Would you be willing to check him and make sure his vitals and such are normal? I don't know how the body adjusts after having mutation reversed, and I'm sure he doesn't feel like being in a lab right now."

Immediately, the brunette rose to her feet, though she walked awkwardly on her way to fetch the much-needed medical bag containing her stethoscope and such. When three pairs of eyes fell on her, she grinned sheepishly and clarified, "Sorry! Just got my toenails painted! Give me a sec…"

However, Anna beat her to the punch, having disappeared while her friend took the time to walk on her heels and retrieved the much-desired bag. Handing it to her, the ponytailed brunette spoke, "You take the vitals, and I'll be checking ligaments and joints."

Donnie shifted his gaze between the ladies and Mr. O'Neil, glancing a few times at April and rubbing at his cheek. This night turned out to be exhausting and, quite frankly, a living Hell. Though Mr. O'Neil was easier to corner this time around, there was another obstacle getting in their way in the form of a newly-mutated Baxter Stockman. The pitiful man mutated into some sort of fly creature, spitting putrid acid at them and talking in that irritating buzz. If that wasn't bad enough, Rahzar gave chase as well, also desperate to regain human form. Stockman proved to be worse though, especially with his crazy idea of throwing April and himself into a vat of mutagen in order to change back into the scrawny evil genius he was. What else did it do that topped it all? It ended up costing him almost all the retromutagen he brewed.

The night wasn't totally lost. Besides Mr. O'Neil getting the cure-one drop being enough to reverse the mutation-and returning to normal, he discovered something that he suspected for a long time: April had a natural immunity to mutagen. He feared because he was the last person she touched when he attempted to rescue her, she would emerge as a turtle like himself. And thanks to Casey, she didn't become another grotesque fly mutant. Instead, she emerged spitting mutagen from her mouth and chastising him for not being able to catch her.

Well, there was also the third thing, and he would bring that up to Cheyloe once she finished her work with Mr. O'Neil, who sported some clothes Casey managed to pick up from the O'Neil apartment; why did Casey get to go to April's place first? The man, although having no memory of being a behemoth of a bat, sat nervously as the checkup progressed. It surprised the genius turtle that no one even questioned April about her dad going missing TWICE, but from the way Casey spoke, April didn't have many friends besides him and some girl named Irma. Maybe now, Kirby would stay not-kidnapped and stay un-mutated.

"I would draw blood samples to make sure your cell levels are normal, but it would be better if you went to the hospital for that." Cheyloe admitted, putting away a digital thermometer. "Have to have authorization for testing, after all. But besides that, it looks like you have a clean bill of health…maybe lower your cholesterol a little, but other than that…"

April offered a chuckle, having sat patiently through her father getting looked over. "Getting older's no fun, huh Dad? Better listen to her; she's a nurse."

"Y-Yes, I'll…I'll have to cut down on certain foods, won't I?" Kirby chortled, albeit weakly, before looking over at Donatello. "Donatello…t-thank you for watching after April after this incident…but it still blows my mind that I mutated into a BAT, of all things."

Donnie chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, uh, it-it was nothing, Mr. O'Neil. Glad to look out for April anytime!"

Pouting slightly from the turtle's remark, the redhead turned to her dad and cleared her throat, preparing herself for what she was about to request. "Dad…I wanted to get your permission, with you back and everything. The guys put themselves out there for us all the time, and I've lost count of how many times they got hurt because of me. So I want to learn from Cheyloe how to treat injuries, give shots, and everything like that."

Kirby studied his daughter, the look on his face clearly showing he was surprised by her request. "April…couldn't you be able to do that by interning at the hospital?"

"Dad, it can't wait that long." April insisted. "We're surrounded by the Kraang and the Foot every minute, and I don't want to sit by and let the guys get hurt and me be unable to do something about it. I don't want to watch my best friends DIE."

The man bit his tongue, wanting to tell April that she shouldn't be worried about how badly they would be hurt. However, when he learned about this nurse, he also learned about how broken Donatello was when he first met her. That was proof of the danger the turtles and his own daughter faced every time they went up against those aliens and ninjas. His fears towards April's ability to take care of herself came the day she was born, but intensified after the loss of his wife. Would history be doomed to repeating itself with his daughter? And he admitted…he laid the blame primarily on the turtles for whenever things went wrong, but it was truly the fault of the Kraang. He greatly appreciated that they kept April safe for this long, but…

"…All right, April." Kirby relented. "You can learn medical techniques, as long as you do everything Miss Doggett tells you to do and listen to her. She's a professional, after all."

"Really? You mean it?" April instantly grinned as she leaned forward and enveloped her father in a hug. "Thank you so much, Dad! I promise I'll listen to her!"

Anna finished up her part of the examination, which mostly dealt with checking Kirby's arms and legs and such to make sure the joints functioned, and offered a sweet smile. "April, I can make sure you and your father get home safely, if it's all right."

The redhead smiled sheepishly at the ponytailed brunette, slowly helping her father back to his feet. "Oh, it's all right! Casey and Raph offered to escort us, though I could handle protecting Dad myself."

As Kirby offered thanks while Kaitlyn handed him a few bags of calming tea, Anna took the moment to pull April to the side, out of earshot of her father. With him distracted, Anna whispered, "April, listen…if you ever need help using your telepathic abilities, I can show you. I can do that on nights Chey teaches you medicine."

The redhead's azure eyes widened at that offer. "…So that's YOUR power as a superhuman?"

Anna offered a quick nod. "That's right. These abilities are new to you, and the sooner you learn to control them, the better. Believe me…I know."

April averted her attention when she heard her father call her name, making her give a quick wave to everyone and heading for the door. She could hear Donnie offer to stay behind; probably to brag to Cheyloe about making retromutagen. Or maybe he was actually going to…nah, he wouldn't. Why was she even thinking like that? Well, better get going so as to not make Casey and Raph wait all night. "Bye guys, and thanks!"

"Be careful, April! Mr. O'Neil!" Donatello replied, offering a small wave of his own. Once the father and daughter closed the door behind them, he turned to Cheyloe with a giddy expression on his face. "Cheyloe, I actually did it! After fifty-five tries, I actually made the first successful batch of retromutagen!"

Letting out a squeal, Chey took hold of his hands and bounced on her feet. "Donnie, I'm so happy for you! I knew you could do it! Did you use it on Splinter, too?"

Donnie grimaced for a split-second and shook his head. "Actually, no…he told me not to use it on him. He wanted me to put top priority on Mr. O'Neil and Timothy…but after what happened tonight, I'll have to make another batch for Tim. We got chased by Rahzar AND Baxter Stockman, and it cost me all but a drop of the retromutagen!"

"Baxter Whoman?" Chey asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Why did he want it?"

"Well, something happened that he got mutated into a giant fly." The genius turtle begrudgingly recounted. "Looks like he's going to be stuck as a gross Flyman for a while. But that's not the most exciting part! You won't believe this…April KISSED me! Twice!"

The smile Cheyloe had on her lips seemed to falter, and Kaitlyn offered an awkward whistle while backing away. "Whoa…she kissed you twice?"

Donnie nodded feverishly, still smiling. "Yeah! Both were on the cheek, though, but I cured Mr. O'Neil AND got kissed twice in one night! Isn't that cool!?"

Chey wanted to say she was happy for him once again, but something didn't settle with her concerning those kisses. It wasn't at all out of jealousy; well, maybe a little. Actually, she was afraid that the kisses would be forgotten by April and that she would go back to ignoring Donnie whenever he offered affection. And because Casey Jones was in the mix as well, and because he was HUMAN, she feared that April was getting Donnie's hopes up too much to where, if she rejected him, the fall would be long and hard. It was probably out of protectiveness, but she didn't want to see her friend's heart get broken in the long-run.

That is, unless he made the decision to let April go.

"…I bet Casey was jealous over those kisses, right?" She dared to ask, giving a half-hearted smirk.

Donnie snickered at that, flashing a cheeky grin. "He didn't see the first one, but he got to witness kiss number two. I mean, he had his mask on and tripped me with his hockey stick, but I'm sure the look on his face was _priceless_." In the middle of his victory rant, he stopped and noticed Cheyloe giving him a strange look. When it hit him WHY she gave him the look, he rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes.

"I-I know what you're thinking…and no, I still made the retromutagen for the sake of curing Mr. O'Neil and everyone else…not to get April to like me. Sorry about that, I just-"

"Got carried away?" Chey completed with a lop-sided smile. "It happens…just don't let that be your sole motivation for what you've done."

The turtle nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "Still…do you think those kisses meant more than a thank you? Be honest…you think she likes me?"

How was she going to put it to him? As much as she wanted to sugarcoat it and tell him that April probably did like him back, all that would do was give him false hope that would come back to bite both of them. Maybe it was from looking through a filter, but she didn't see the redhead look at him in a way that told her she had any romantic feelings towards him. When she first met the turtle, it was obvious from his descriptions that he was like a love-sick puppy. But maybe he realized that after she told him her views on love at first sight, or the kisses brought him back to his original way of thinking. So…it was better to be honest, and besides…

"Truthfully…I don't know, Donnie." She answered in a low voice. "I really don't know…you'll just have to see how it plays out. Maybe she likes you back, maybe she doesn't…I just don't know."

"If you ask my opinion, love sucks." Kaitlyn butted in, fixing a drink. "All people do now is lead each other on, drop 'em in the dirt, and repeat th' cycle all over again. So if ya ask me, I'd kick 'er to the curb."

"Of course that comes from the person who's never had a stable boyfriend." Anna muttered under her breath, turning to the turtle. "But I agree with Cheyloe…you just have to see how it plays out and figure out your own feelings, too. You never know…you could end up growing out of your crush."

Donatello tugged at his belt, arching a brow. "Grow out of it? W-Well, just because it's my first crush doesn't mean…"

When he kept tugging at his belt, it caused the sheath for his Bo staff to slide as well, and then he was reminded that he REALLY needed to fix that switch on the side. Right then, the naginata blade he built into his staff to make it more lethal shot out like the moles in those old arcade games, startling the young women…especially Cheyloe. He saw the brunette fling herself backwards onto the couch, clutching at her chest like she was experiencing a heart attack. And that reaction prompted anger out of Anna and Kaitlyn.

"Donatello, what was that!?" The ponytailed brunette shrieked. "Why is there a BLADE in your staff!?"

"Don't scare Chey like that, you jerk!" The dirty-blonde snarled.

"I-I didn't mean…oh, that stupid trigger switch!" Donatello berated himself, pulling out the staff and glaring at it. "I forgot all about fixing it-"

"Everybody, relax…I-I'm fine." Chey spoke, taking a few breaths and steadying her composure. "Anna, Kaitlyn…lay off. He didn't mean it…"

The two other women looked at her with uncertainty and glared back at Donatello, but they knew that when she said lay off, she meant it. So they backed away from the turtle and let him have view of her again, and the look on his face blended confusion, guilt, embarrassment, and deep worry. He stepped forward, doing his best to shove the blade back into his staff, before rubbing his shoulder and averting his auburn gaze. "Chey, I'm so sorry…I didn't know that would happen, and I didn't mean to scare you…"

Cheyloe held up her hand, even though it trembled despite trying to hide it. "Donnie, don't sweat over it…you didn't know that was going to happen. I'm all right…I just overreacted."

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked in a hushed voice, taking her shaking hand into his without thinking.

The brunette nodded, noticing her hand clasped in the turtle's large, olive-green palm. To her surprise, the trembling in her hand started to steady back into the calm state it possessed previously. She shook the surprise out of her mind and replied, "Yeah, I'll be fine. You should get home before everyone worries, okay? I'll talk to you soon, Don."

Donnie nodded slowly, forcing himself to go to the balcony door to leave. When he placed his hand over the knob, he quietly replied, "Yeah…talk to you soon."

As soon as he closed the door behind him and got to the rooftops, he groaned and shoved his face into his hands. Why did that have to happen? That was more embarrassing than when he got pummeled by the mutated Dr. Rockwell. Why couldn't he predict that the faulty switch would trigger and nearly scare his friend to death? He knew many things were just beyond his control, but that didn't make it any less humiliating.

Now the questions started to flood his brain. What if she was still mad at him next time they spoke? What if her friends wouldn't let him in if he came to visit again? What if he even stabbed her with the naginata by accident next time? Attempting to calm the thoughts, Donnie massaged his temples and took deep breaths. Just stop with the worry, and stop overthinking things…it was an accident and all was forgiven. Still, Chey's reaction the blade raised questions for him; it made him remember how she acted towards Karai's tanto as well. Plus, she never exactly got up-close and personal with Leo's katana blades.

Once he got home, he would do a quick Google search on aichmophobia…but once again, maybe he was just overthinking things.

* * *

"So, uh…has April's old man always been kind of nuts?"

Raphael narrowed his green eyes and glared at Casey as they sat on the rooftops. Just a moment ago, they finished with escorting April and Kirby back to their apartment, and now they decided to pass some time by sitting right above the O'Neil's residence. During their escort and right when they got to the door, Kirby seemed to be on edge, more so than after he was rescued from a Kraang holding cell. He seemed a little clingy over April the entire way, and giving the turtle odd looks. Sometimes the stares and scowls would be in the hockey player's direction. To sum it up, the entire walk was painfully awkward.

"How would you feel if you were kidnapped by the Kraang and then mutated into a mindless bat?" The red-masked turtle dared to ask. "After all that crap, who **wouldn't** be paranoid? It's kind of like the first time we went up against Shredder."

Casey's eyes widened at that. "Wait, Splinter went nuts, too?"

Snorting, Raph replied, "Nuts is putting it lightly; he turned into that drill sergeant on Full Metal Jacket. We weren't allowed to leave the lair AND we had to do nonstop training, almost to th' point of keeling over!"

"Dude, that's terrible!" Casey guffawed. "The worst my dad ever did ta me whenever I screwed up was take away my hockey stuff. But Splinter and Mr. O'Neil are somethin' else."

Silent befell the two hotheads, the turtle picking at fibers dangling from his bandages and the vigilante picking at a loose thread on his jeans. But Raph could tell that Casey was, well, troubled by something. And he was pretty sure that 'something' involved the way April thanked Donatello for successfully curing her father of his mutation. Even after spending so much time chasing Kirby alongside 'Turtflytle', he managed to see that cheek kiss, followed promptly by the vigilante tripping his brainy brother with his hockey stick. He found it funny, but he knew it was done out of jealousy…though Donnie shouldn't have rubbed it in his face.

"So, uh, Raph…" Casey began, faking a cough. "Do ya, uh…do ya think April has a thing for Donnie?"

"Yer not still stewing over that cheek kiss, are ya?" The temperamental turtle questioned, crossing his arms like he always did.

"What, ya think I'm jealous? Of him?" The vigilante scoffed, raising his hands in defense. "You know as well as I do he doesn't stand a chance, and you know why, too! Uh…no offense."

Despite his scowl, Raph simply replied, "None taken." Though he had to admit, he was feeling protective of his younger brother due to the comment. However, as he told Donnie before, he wasn't going to let him live in a fantasy world where April would just fall head-over-heels for him despite their differences. At the same time, he wasn't going to immediately side with Casey should it happen the vigilante came out victorious. "I don't know if she has a thing for Donnie…or you, for that matter. If she's not interested in either of ya, don't push it."

"How do ya know she's not interested, Raph?" Casey argued. "Maybe…maybe she's just playin' hard ta get!"

"Look, Casey, yer my friend, so I'm gonna be brutally honest with ya." Raph started, holding his hand up as to stop any argument right now. "If April goes for you, then congrats. If April goes for Donnie, then leave 'em alone. As for me, leave me out of any love drama!"

Casey clenched his hands into tight fists for a moment. Why wasn't Raph backing him one-hundred-percent? Even Raph admitted to him that Donnie's crush on April was hopeless simply due to the fact that he was a mutant and she was a human. He didn't know of course that the turtle left out the detail that she was half-Kraang, thus technically a mutant, but her appearance didn't show it. At the same time, he knew Raph was just wanting to look out for his brother; if anyone told him that a crush his little sister had was pointless, he would be the first to lay down the law.

"…This love stuff is a pain, huh?" The vigilante asked in a bitter voice.

The red-masked turtle gave a nod, and leaned back. "I say it's better NOT to fall in love. It makes things hurt less, ya know…'course, I've never been in love, and I intend ta keep it that way."

Casey wiped at his nose, smearing some of the paint on his face. "Yeah…good fer you."

The turtle and vigilante kept quiet for another few minutes before resuming their chat and changing the subject…completely unaware of the nervous-but-scowling man listening below from the fire escape…


	19. Changing for the Worse

**Author's Note: Whew, okay, this is DEFINITELY my longest chapter! I just felt there was a lot of detail to cover in this one, so I hope it doesn't seem like too much! I'll be working on shortening the chapters just a little from now on. But, more to the point! This time around, I decided to do "The Wrath of Tiger Claw" differently. Especially with Karai's reactions and how the others react to her. I felt like after what happened at Murakami's and how Casey got hurt, she got off a little too easy, even though Tiger Claw held a majority of the responsibility. I also wanted to announce that I'll be doing drabbles that'll cover episodes, brotherly moments, some scenes in Turtle Dove that I didn't add in, and so on. Next chapter will cover "Vengeance is Mine" and be starting into "The Invasion", so stay tuned!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Changing for the Worse

Another night of Donatello rummaging through the fridge, and another night of getting his hands on the last can of Wake Up energy drink. And he needed it, too. Since curing Kirby, he was already at work on another batch of retromutagen to administer to Timothy. However, he went over in his mind again and again exactly HOW he would administer the dosage. One big factor that came into play was the wannabe vigilante's frozen and gelatinous state of being. Thinking it over again made him pause in opening his drink and guzzling it down.

He still remembered the night of Timothy's mutation, and how much he blamed himself for the incident. No matter how much he insisted that mutation was dangerous and not worth the desire for heroism, Timothy just wouldn't listen. He could still hear the boy's wails of pain as the mutagen burned his skin, and chills went down his spine. The genius turtle kept trying to get his mind around WHY Timothy mutated into a gelatinous blob of organs. Maybe it was indeed because he didn't come into contact with anything prior to touching the ooze, but he had another theory.

Bacteria.

Bacteria contributed to the form Timothy took in the process of mutation. There could have been multitudes of germs on those gloves of his, along with any shed skin cells or the mutagen entering his mouth and mixing with epithelial cells. Thus, his mutated form took on the traits of a cellular organism. That was the part that made him worry. If he exposed Timothy to retromutagen, because he doesn't have a 'solid' body, would he just de-mutate into a pile of internal organs? Or, by some miracle, would the acidic slime condense back into skin, fat, muscle, and bone? He wouldn't know until the next batch was finished…and in case something happened, he would have to track down whatever family he had and deliver bad news.

"You got the last energy drink AGAIN?" A voice accused. "Donnie, you shouldn't drink that stuff!"

Donnie gave a brief roll of the eyes, followed by defiantly opening the energy drink can and taking a long sip. "Look who's talking…I'm not the one who stuffs himself with Space Heroes gummies."

"That was one time, Donnie!" Leonardo argued in a hushed voice. "I eat an entire box of Space Heroes gummies ONE TIME, and now everyone is worried about how much sugar I consume…"

Silence fell between the brothers, save for an awkward cough from the blue-masked turtle, before Donatello asked, "So, uh…how've you been holding up? You know…concerning Karai?"

Leo seemed to shrink into himself at the mention of the kunoichi. Ever since the Kraathatrogon incident, the turtles didn't experience a single encounter with her. However, Donnie told him in-confidence about what he knew of the exchange between Karai and Cheyloe at Murakami's; the moment the encounter was uttered, Leo looked as though Donnie sprouted a third eye. Of course, they both agreed that Raphael, Michelangelo, and everyone else be kept out of that. While it was odd to keep Mikey and Splinter in the dark about that bit of information, as they would see it as a positive sign, with Raph it was justified. After all, despite the revelation Karai was actually Splinter's long-lost daughter, he still didn't have an ounce of trust in her. In his mind, though Karai was Miwa, she was still raised by the Shredder. She was forever tainted by his influence.

Not wanting to debate the whole nature vs. nurture thing with his hot-headed brother, Leo decided to keep it between him and his genius brother to avoid any drama. So the lead turtle just cleared his throat and gave in reply, "I've been…staying strong, if you can say that. It's just…it just feels so weird to know that she's basically our sister. I know there's still good in her…I just wish everyone else could see that."

"Well, if it makes you feel better…Cheyloe shares your mindset." Donnie awkwardly replied, chuckling nervously. He stopped after a moment and put on his 'serious face'. "But Leo…it's up to Karai whether or not she wants to believe her true origins. You got to remember that Shredder basically beat it into her head that Splinter killed Tang Shen. She's not going to believe right away, but it's up to her whether she believes at all. I don't think even April or Chey could magically convince her to turn a new leaf overnight."

"But maybe if Raph-"

"Leo, Raph sees everything in black and white. Anyone associated with the Foot Clan, he automatically deems pure evil." The genius turtle replied bluntly. "It wouldn't matter if Karai saved a thousand people from dying in a collapsing building; he would still see her as the Princess of the Foot. To be honest…I hope I'm wrong on that part."

Leo cast his ocean-blue eyes to the floor, digesting his brother's words. Hearing that made Raph look like a big, fat hypocrite; he was easily able to forgive Slash after he tried to kill them all. But Slash was never part of the Foot Clan, while Karai was, and he was sure his brother believed the classic excuse of 'the mutagen made me do it'. Then again…was he so willing to forgive the kunoichi because she turned out to be Splinter's daughter, or because she was good-looking and everything he wasn't? And to think he was hard on Donnie concerning April…now he felt HE was the hypocrite.

"Donnie…sorry for getting on your case concerning April." Leo suddenly apologized to his now-bewildered brother. "I shouldn't be talking out of both sides on my mouth on that matter…"

"W-Well…you're just looking out for me as my eldest brother!" Donnie spoke hurriedly. "Though…it's nice of you to admit that. Thanks, Leo."

"Hey, dudes! You ready to go to Murakami's or not!?"

The two brothers stopped in time to see Michelangelo poking his head into the kitchen, clearly displeased at the thought of being kept away from any delicious, crispy pizza gyoza. They all agreed they were going to go out to eat; April and Casey weren't joining them because they went to the movies with that Irma girl. They didn't mind, but figured it got tiresome for the high-schoolers to keep them a secret from a fellow peer. Maybe bringing them some gyoza would make up for it. Maybe they could even get it without having to worry about any Purple Dragons or Foot…that qualified as wishful thinking, right?

"Yeah, Mikey, we're coming!" Leo assured, rolling his eyes. "You can stand to wait a few more minutes!"

Once Mikey exited the kitchen, his attention went back to Donnie and the subject of their conversation. "Well…looks like we can come to each other concerning 'romantic struggles' and stuff about girls."

Donnie actually found himself snickering over Leo's choice of words, hiding his grin with his fist. "Crushes are complicated, aren't they?"

* * *

If the remains of broken dishes scattered across the floor weren't an indication of disaster, the deep claw marks along the wall and posters gave an obvious clue. If one were to walk inside the shop famous for a quick lunch and dinner, they'd also see Mr. Murakami lying on the floor, whimpering and holding his bruised forearm. They would also see two figures towering over him with stone-cold expressions: a teenage girl dressed in metal armor and a previously-presumed-dead humanoid tiger.

Karai could obviously admit she was as shocked as the rest of the Foot Clan when Tiger Claw showed up in the throne room of their headquarters. Being swallowed by that giant alien worm took its toll on him, however. While his right ear had a chunk taken out of it, the most prominent difference was the patch to cover up the lack of a left eye. The kunoichi took notice that his left ear had a nice scar on it as well; a scar that came from the graze of a bullet. Now that he was back, the humanoid tiger's soul burned with one desire: to have the turtles' blood dripping from his claws after he tore them to shreds.

And how did they figure they would start this pathway to revenge? Simple…go after everyone they cared about.

Murakami was the first on the list, since his shop was the place the turtles liked to congregate. Next on the list would be that hockey-obsessed buffoon; Casey Jones was his name. Then April O'Neil and her father, and even that brunette nurse counted as prey. In the mind of both Shredder and Tiger Claw, it didn't matter who was at their expense…the turtles and Hamato Yoshi would pay for their crimes against the Foot. However, Karai was more than reluctant to go through with this cycle of vengeance. For one thing, attacking a harmless blind man wasn't what honor embodied. Another thing, ever since their last conflict with the Hamato Clan and her encounter with the nurse, the kunoichi began questioning everything she stood for…and whether or not Shredder was actually the father he claimed to be.

Now the clan started showing its true colors by ordering attacks on innocent people…just because they chose to befriend their hated enemies. Was this truly what the Foot Clan was about? Was this a true reflection of Shredder's diluted sense of honor that his obsession with revenge drove him to destroy everything in his path? Truthfully, it wouldn't surprise Karai if he decided to order the deaths of small children if they so much as uttered the name 'Hamato'. In truth, no one was safe from the destructive clutches of Oroku Saki…not even her, the daughter he claimed to love.

"Now, old man…" Tiger Claw growled, picking Murakami-san up by the collar of his shirt and holding his extended claws to his terrified face. "Tell us where the turtles hide, and your miserable life will be spared. If you do not tell…since you are a blind man, I shall make it quick and painless."

"Tiger Claw!" Karai admonished. "We're not killing him! He's an old man; a BLIND one!"

A snort erupted from the humanoid tiger. "Old, blind…it does not matter. Anyone who is associated with the turtles is an enemy! The red-haired girl, the vigilante punk, even the Firestarter! They are our adversaries, and nothing more. What makes you change your view on that?"

"So you find honor in harming someone who can't defend themselves?" The kunoichi challenged defiantly, hand hovering over her tanto. "Or do you pick and choose where your honor lies like Shredder does?"

At that declaration, Tiger Claw dropped Murakami and let out a roar of frustration in Karai's face. He then proceeded to roughly grab her by the arm and pull her to his face. "You are one to preach to me about honor, whelp! You forget…I am second-in-command now, and you obey MY orders…direct orders from Master Shredder!" His lone eye narrowed and he added, "After all…you are not above any of his punishments, child."

Right then, Murakami coughed and wheezed, trying to get into a sitting position, hoarsely insisting, "I-I don't know…where the turtles live…I swear! But…even if I did…I would n-never put them in danger!"

Karai narrowed her eyes at the old man, but one thing became clear to her; it was clear to her in the beginning: he was telling the truth. Both in not knowing the location of the turtles' lair and in boldly declaring to keep that a secret if he knew. So beating on him was all for nothing, and completely unnecessary on Tiger Claw's part. If she had not a shred of honor, she would've happily participated in the assault on an old man…but there was NO honor in that. Murakami was booted off the list, so that left three others. Three others she wanted to get to before Tiger Claw could kill them.

"The turtles will come flocking if some harm were to come to the O'Neil child." Tiger Claw rumbled, walking out of the shop. "Come, Karai…this place is of no use now."

Karai watched Tiger Claw exit the shop and hop onto the rooftops before diverting her attention back to Murakami-san. Her eyes remained narrowed and her lips pursed together while she debated what to do with the old man. If the turtles came by, he would spill to them that the Foot Clan was responsible for this attack. One of the philosophies of the Foot Clan was to leave no witness to their misdeeds alive; a play on mafia code, perhaps. She also knew that if she were to finish him, his blood would forever be on her hands. An old, blind man slain by a teenager who could've stopped everything altogether. There was something she could do…and that involved a secret phone she carried on her person. One of the few forms of freedom she could have as a teen under a controlling father…

Maybe this could be the start of doing something out of benevolence for once. If the Foot Clan was truly broken, then maybe she could be the one to fix it.

Pulling the phone from her belt, she dialed a number, let it ring, and spoke into the receiver. "Yes…I would like to report an assault…an old man is badly beat up. At Murakami's noodle shop."

* * *

 _"_ _Mutant bats? And giant alien worms appearing underground? Get real! You know how many people are crazy enough to be on TV that they'll dress in ugly costumes! And there is such thing as Hollywood special effects!"_

Cheyloe stopped and stared at the television in the waiting room broadcasting a live news debate concerning the recent strange activity in New York. Other people weren't paying attention so much; most were busy playing on their phones or anxiously awaiting news on a loved one. For her, today's shift was officially over, and she could go home and enjoy time to herself until Anna and Kaitlyn came home for dinner. Needless to say, today wasn't easy, and it dealt with a multitude of patients coming in as casualties of local gang turf wars. The Purple Dragons had some involvement, but there was also a new group of thugs calling themselves the Turks.

A part of her hoped that people would believe the mutant and alien activity was the result of lunatics in costumes and amateur filmmakers messing around. If they believed that, then the turtles would be safe and away from places like Area 51. Then again…a part of her wished that people would just accept that not all mutants were bad and treat them with enough dignity for them to be a part of society. The Kraang wouldn't count; they were too evil to be redeemed from what Donnie told her…but it would be great if people took the scales off their eyes and realized that mutants were no different from humans.

Enough of that, though…time to get home and find a few minutes to relax. No dealing with rude and bruised teenagers, no dealing with screaming children who were terrified of needles, no dealing with perverted old people, no dealing with Mr. Murakami being wheeled in on a stretcher-

Cheyloe stopped all thought processes going on about work to take notice of Mr. Murakami-THAT Mr. Murakami-wheeled in on a stretcher by a group of paramedics. She could hear one of them muttering how the blind man was crazy because he was attacked by a 'monster', that he was probably 'off his meds'. Almost dropping her purse, the brunette rushed over to the stretcher to check on the man and make sure he wasn't in critical condition. But who would do this to him? Who would dare hurt him?

"Mr. Murakami!?" Chey shouted as she pushed past the paramedics and got to his side. "Mr. Murakami, it's me, Cheyloe! W-What happened to you!?"

Murakami-san expressed pain when he turned in the direction of the nurse's voice. "M-Miss Doggett?" He clutched at his arm, the bruises on it harsher than earlier and the skin swollen. "It was…the turtles and April-chan…are in danger. T-The girl from the Foot…a giant man called…Tiger Claw."

Cheyloe immediately stiffened at the mention of that name; it felt like ice replaced the blood in her veins at that second. How in the world was Tiger Claw still alive? Last time she checked, she witnessed him being eaten alive by a giant space worm. And what was Karai doing going around and beating up a blind man? Then there was Mr. Murakami's warning concerning the turtles and April. If Karai and Tiger Claw were willing to beat up an old man to the point of hospitalization, then they could possibly…

Ignoring the paramedics and her coworkers telling her to move and let them help the man, Chey bolted from the waiting room and out the automatic doors of the hospital. Donnie and his brothers had to know what happened, and they needed to get to April and Casey ASAP! She frantically fished her phone out of her purse and feverishly dialed Donatello's number, muttering for him to pick up as the phone rang. Thinking that he had his phone off, she was about to disconnect the call and try dialing the number again when she heard a click and a voice on the other end.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

"Donnie! Thank God, you picked up!" The brunette breathed out. "Donnie, we need to find April and Casey! All of you are in danger!"

 _"_ _What do you mean? What's going on? Are you okay!?"_

She rounded the corner, brushing past a few residents, before hurriedly replying, "Paramedics just brought Mr. Murakami to the hospital, and he looks really bad! He said Karai and Tiger Claw did it and their coming after you guys and April! I'm sure Casey and Splinter are on the hit list, too!"

 _"_ _They ATTACKED Murakami-san!?"_ Donatello shouted through the receiver. _"Cheyloe, whatever you do, don't let Karai or Tiger Claw find you! If April and Casey are targets, then that means you are, too! Don't even try to reason with Karai, especially if that bloodthirsty furball's with her! We'll find April and Casey and get them to safety!"_

Cheyloe bolted down the street nearing the local movie theater and shook her head. "I'm not letting you guys get hurt! I'll find April and Casey and bring them to my place! The Foot doesn't know where I live, and I need to get my pistol, anyway!" She immediately skidded to a halt when she heard familiar voices coming from the movie theater. "Wait…I hear them! Donnie, I gotta go! Be careful, okay?"

 _"_ _Cheyloe, wait-"_

Hanging up the phone, the brunette more towards the entrance of the movie theater and saw three individuals exiting the front doors and going on about how awesome some flick was. She recognized two as April and Casey, but didn't recognize the girl in glasses. Whoever this other girl was, she would have to go home; she didn't want another to be added to the Foot Clan hit-list. She ignored the chatter between the teens and ran to them, stopping to catch her breath.

"Cheyloe?" April addressed, staring at the hunched-over young woman.

Taking a few more breaths, the brunette lifted her head and panted, "A-April…Casey…w-we've got an emergency!"

"Who're you?" The girl in glasses asked, scrunching up her nose. "And why are you so desperate to see April and Casey?"

"Irma, Cheyloe's a friend of ours." The redhead stated, giving Irma a slight glare. "And if it's an emergency, then go on home without us. We don't want to keep you out all night."

Irma cocked an eyebrow, staring back and forth between April and the weird brunette, before shrugging and sighing, "All right, see you at school tomorrow…but you've got to tell me about how many weird friends you have from now on."

When the bespectacled girl walked off and was far out of earshot, Casey was the first to speak; he wouldn't show that he was secretly relieved Irma was gone. "So what's this emergency ya wanted ta talk about?"

Cheyloe wiped at her forehead and managed to steady her breathing, glancing around to make sure the coast was clear before she decided it was safe to speak. "When I was leaving my shift, I saw paramedics bring in Mr. Murakami!" She ignored the gasps coming from the teens and continued, "Karai and Tiger Claw beat him up and now they're after us! I need you two to come with me to my place so you can be safe! The turtles already know the situation!"

"Wait, Tiger Claw's still alive!?" April spat. "How could he survive being eaten by a giant worm!?"

"You tell me!" Cheyloe argued. "No more chit-chat! We have to go NOW!"

Despite any protests, the brunette grabbed the redhead and hockey player by the arms and dragged them down the street in the direction of her residence. Once there, she would call Mr. O'Neil and tell him the two teens were staying with her until it was safe for them to go home. A part of her actually wanted to stay out so she could have a chat with Karai; did ANYTHING she talked to her about reach her? Could it be the kunoichi basically feigned confusion in order to exploit her kindness? She would find out if she ever saw her again…and maybe give her the biggest lecture of her life.

What she didn't realize was that her efforts to keep her friends safe were basically in vain…because right above them on an adjacent building stood a humanoid tiger and a teen girl dressed in metal armor. Karai wasn't surprised that the brunette would be out trying to save her friends, but she wanted to leave them be…and she didn't want to have to be confronted by her. Since she worked at the local hospital, it didn't take a genius to realize she more than likely saw the shape Murakami-san arrived in. Who would want to face the person who offered you kindness, only to pay them back by hurting a defenseless man?

"The Firestarter is with them." Tiger Claw mused, licking at his lips before extending his claws. "That saves the trouble of scouring the city…let us attack now, Karai."

With a bold leap, the humanoid tiger and the kunoichi managed to stop the trio before they could reach the end of the street. Cheyloe halted and instinctively put herself between the Foot Clan members and April and Casey. Her blue-green eyes immediately shot a glare at Karai, who averted her gaze in response. She noticed the nick in Tiger Claw's left ear-a mark of her making-and summed up that he held a steady grudge over it. She's make another mark to match it if she had her pistol with her…

 _Donnie, where are you!?_

"Karai!" April shouted, also glaring at the fellow kunoichi. "I should've know you'd stoop low enough to hurt Murakami-san!"

Karai said nothing in her defense; what could she say? Tiger Claw snorted at the redhead's fiery declaration and cracked his neck. "The weak have no place in the path of the Foot Clan, cub. Neither do those who associate themselves with that rat Hamato Yoshi. I will ask once…where is the turtles' lair?"

"You're not getting that out of us!" April spat venomously. "Tell Shredder to stick his gauntlets all the way up his-"

"Cheyloe!" Casey interrupted, clenching his hands into fists and grabbing his hockey stick off of his back. "Take April to yer place! I'll hold off th' pussy cat!"

The redhead quickly withdrew her tessen from her back pocket, attempting to be at the vigilante's side right then. "Casey, I'm not letting you take on Tiger Claw and Karai alone! The both of them together, they'll throttle you!"

"Yeah? Well, if I'm goin' down, I at least wanna go down in a fight." The vigilante declared with great determination. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Tiger Claw and he tightened the grip on his hockey stick. "Even if it's fightin' Tony the Tiger."

"April, c'mon!" Chey begged, looking at the fire escape. "Let's get to the rooftops! The guys might see us!"

As much as April wanted to stay and fight alongside her friend, and as much as she tried to resist the brunette trying to get her to run, she resigned to allowing herself to be dragged to a nearby fire escape. Her blue eyes focused helplessly on Casey taking a bold swing at the tiger mutant, only to be smacked aside by a large paw. She let out a scream, but it was cut short by the ushering of the young woman next to her to keep moving. So she obeyed and feverishly climbed the steps of the fire escape until they reached the rooftops. Now all that was needed was to spot the turtles and they could get some help. And then…

Karai appeared right behind them.

The three females paused, ignoring the sounds of the vigilante doing his best to battle Tiger Claw and lure him away. The tension rose to a boiling point between them, and one or more of them were about to blow, one way or another. The first to make a move was Cheyloe, who casually stepped up to the kunoichi and stared her deep in the eyes. As much of a cliché it was, if looks could kill…Karai would be dead right then and there. After this silent stare-down…the brunette proceeded to lift her hand and smack the kunoichi square across the cheek. Karai immediately stepped back and hovered her hand over her burning cheek. The last time she was slapped, it was by her own father for talking back at him…and no matter who hit her in the face, the pain was always the same.

"Did you get NOTHING from that talk?" Cheyloe interrogated, gritting her teeth. "Did it just go in one ear and out the other!? I offer you kindness and a chance for change, and you pay that back by pulling this crap!?"

"I didn't lay a hand on Murakami!" Karai insisted. "Tiger Claw was the one who did it!"

"You could've stopped it!" The brunette argued further. "Instead, you let that monster put Mr. Murakami in the hospital! I saw the shape he was in…I saw how badly he was beaten. So what makes you so different from the guy you call 'Father'?"

The kunoichi gave a small glare, but it crumbled away as quickly as it came. "If it makes this any better, I was the one who called the ambulance. Tiger Claw doesn't know, and it's staying that way." Of course, even with that admission, it wouldn't make things any better…it wouldn't earn the brunette's trust back. It certainly wouldn't win any brownie points with April or the turtles. That didn't mean she couldn't try…even if it took forever, she wanted to make things right.

"…You're right." Karai conceded, hanging her head. "I messed up…but I want to make things right, okay? The Foot Clan is broken, possibly beyond repair, but I want to fix the damage they've done. Whether…whether or not Shredder is actually my father, I don't want to be like him anymore…"

April and Cheyloe glanced at each other in debate on what to do next. If what Karai spoke was true…then maybe it was a sign she now believed her true origins. If that wasn't the case, then maybe she realized Shredder was too far gone in his goals, and that countless people would get hurt because of him. Maybe she connected the dots that she'd been fighting on the wrong side this whole time. But it could be a trap…it could be a trap to let their guard down and allow her to exploit their weaknesses. Was it worth taking a risk?

In silent unison, they decided to give her a second chance.

"April! Cheyloe!"

The three females turned and saw none-other than Leonardo and Donatello fast-approaching. At the same time, they heard the sound of Tiger Claw grunting and hitting the ground nearby; that had to be Raphael and Michelangelo's work. With them here now, maybe Casey wouldn't be terribly beaten by the hands of that beast. However, as soon as Leo and Donnie focused their sight on Karai, they stopped and wasted no time in drawing their weapons.

"First you attack Murakami-san, and now you're about to hurt April and Chey?" Donnie growled lowly. "Give me ONE reason why I shouldn't jab my naginata blade where the sun doesn't shine!"

"Donnie, wait!" April firmly interjected, holding her hand up. "Just…just listen to what she has to say, all right? Please, hear her side."

The genius turtle wanted to protest and say that the attack on Murakami-san cemented how bad she was. However, he also admitted to himself that if April and Cheyloe both were willing to give her a chance to speak…it wouldn't be wise to deny that he listen, too. Besides, even with the things Karai did to them…she was still human, and still capable of change. She just had to WANT to change, right? So he and Leo lowered their weapons, signaling to Karai to step forward and begin explaining herself.

"Leo…" The kunoichi addressed, ignoring the other turtle. "You said that Splinter was my father, and that Shredder lied to me my whole life. Well…I need to see it for myself. I need to see the proof in your statements." She paused and lowered her gaze before lifting her head to the sky. "I didn't lay a hand on Murakami-san, but I'm just as guilty for not defending him like I should've. So I accept responsibility on my part…and I want to work to earn your trust back."

Leo bit on his lip, debating whether or not Karai's words were honest, before replying, "If you want my full trust back, then you'll definitely have to earn it. And on the proof you want…if you really, really want it, then you'll have to come with us to the lair. The only one who can give you the proof you need is Splinter. I'm sure you know that as well as I do."

"But what about your brothers?" Karai argued quietly. "What about Raphael? He'll say no to it."

"We'll vouch for you." Cheyloe interrupted, her gaze towards the kunoichi now gentle. "If you're prepared to have a dose of reality, then so be it. We're giving you another chance, so don't blow it by pulling any funny stuff."

Before anything could be added to that warning and before Karai could protest to that condition, Raph rushed onto the rooftop, knuckles bloody and breathing akin to just running a marathon. "Guys, w-we gotta get Casey to th' lair! He's in bad-" He stopped the moment his emerald-green eyes locked onto the sight of the kunoichi in black. "Well, well…if it isn't the Princess of the Foot! What, beating up a blind, old man not enough for ya!?"

"Save it, Raph!" April reprimanded. "Whether you like it or not, Karai's going to the lair to learn the truth! Now let's go get Casey and move!"

* * *

"…Is he gonna be okay?"

Cheyloe took notice of Mikey's question once she finished applying the last bandage to Casey's nose. Sighing and peeling off her gloves, she answered, "As long as he gets rest, he'll be fine. Boy…Tiger Claw did a number on him. I'm just glad he's alive."

Mikey leaned against the back of the couch and frowned, feeling awful that the vigilante was officially out of commission for a while. If he and Raph were a few seconds late, that giant cat would've killed him. Well, it was better to come back bruised and beaten than in a body bag…didn't mean the freckled turtle wished he could've done more. "I hope he wakes up soon, for April and Raph's sakes. I know Raph blames Karai for it, but she wasn't the one beating him up…"

"…I know, Mikey." The brunette whispered. "But…if Karai wants to break away from the Foot after all this, then she'll work to earn forgiveness. She has to."

Right then, Donatello stepped out of the dojo, where the others were at, and walked over to the couch to take a look at Casey. In all honesty, he would rather watch over his injured friend than deal with any drama involved in telling Karai who she really was. April stayed in the dojo to make sure the fellow kunoichi kept her word, Leo and Splinter decided to do the explaining, and Raph just stood in there silently seething over everything. Even if Karai accepted the truth, he doubted that would change his hotheaded brother's opinions on her right away. So he didn't want to be caught in the middle of any blow-ups.

"How is he?" The genius turtle asked, sitting next to Cheyloe. "Will he wake up?"

"He'll wake up, give or take in a few hours." Cheyloe assured softly. "Got pretty shaken up, but he'll be bouncing back. What's the update in there?"

Donnie swallowed and leaned forward, arms draped over his knees. "So far, Karai hasn't tried anything funny. But…I don't know if she's gonna believe or not. I don't even know if she's gonna be forgiven after all this…even if she did call the ambulance for Murakami-san. I mean, we can't forgive her when we're not ready…right?"

The brunette slowly shook her head. "No…forgiveness takes time. If she decides to work towards it, that's a start. We'll just have to have some faith in a positive outcome."

Donnie gave a nod before glancing at Casey. As much as the guy got on his nerves, it bothered him greatly to see him in such bad shape. April looked devastated the moment she saw him on the ground, his mask cracked and blood coming out of his mouth. Raph kept silent, but the genius turtle knew his brother was consumed with rage. Rage at Tiger Claw, Karai, and the Foot Clan as a whole, and himself for not being there sooner. Things couldn't possibly get any worse, right?

"Karai, wait! Where're you going!?"

Donatello, Cheyloe, and Michelangelo rose up in time to see Karai herself storming out of the dojo, her eyes steely and her hand clutching a beeping, metallic device. Uh oh…this can't be good. What happened, and what was that thing in her hand? Why did it look like she wanted to kill someone right then and there? Before they could inquire about it, Leonardo rushed forward and placed his hand on the kunoichi's shoulder. "Karai, wait, don't go!"

"I can't believe that sack of fleas planted a tracking device on me!" The raven-haired girl spat, turning sharply to face Leo. "And after all this…Shredder's been using me as a personal tool of revenge! Lied to me all my life!"

"So what, are you going to go face Tiger Claw by yourself!? That's crazy!"

"Leo, Shredder KILLED my mother, threw abuse in my direction, turned me against my real father, and sent Tiger Claw to track you down by using ME! If anyone's going to stop that cat, it'll be MY job!" Cooling down for a second, the kunoichi spoke in a softer tone, "…Let me do this for you, okay? And if I don't come back…please tell Father that I'm sorry for everything. Sorry for hurting him…and hurting all of you."

Cheyloe went to offer her own protest, but Donatello took hold of her arm, halting her from reaching out to the girl. The genius turtle gave her a sad glance and shook his head; in other words, she wouldn't be able to talk Karai out of this. In fact, it seemed like not even Splinter could talk her out of it if she was storming out without hesitation.

"I'm going with you." Leo replied in defiance. "You can't stop me. If we're going to stop Tiger Claw, we're doing it together…as a family."

No sooner did Leo finish his sentence did Donnie walk over to stand right at his side. "I'm going, too. Somebody has to make sure you two come back alive, right? I'll fill in for Raph on this one; he'll stay and watch Casey."

"Donnie, I'm not letting ANY of you get hurt!" Chey declared, now being the one to grab the turtle's arm. "That guy'll destroy you! I'm not going to let you die!"

"Leo, Donnie, please let ME go!" Mikey begged in a strained voice. "I don't wanna see you guys get hurt, either! Casey's already been hurt; I don't want you guys hurt, too!"

Leo, Donnie, and Karai kept silent and debated on the begging of the freckled turtle and the brunette for a moment. Well, Karai already decided that this would be her first step in atoning for believing Oroku Saki's constant torrent of lies for all these years, and her decision was final. Leo basically decided to go on with his plan to ensure Splinter's daughter would come back alive. Donnie, even though he hated worrying his brother and friend, decided that he had to be the one to make sure both his other brother and former enemy came back in one piece. And no protests would stop them…that was final.

Donnie went over to clasp his hand on his younger brother's shoulder, giving him a smile of reassurance. "…All right, Mikey. But you have to be in agreement…that we'll all come back. We'll come back and make this family whole again, and stop Tiger Claw from hurting anyone else."

* * *

Donnie was right when he said they would come back…he was just wrong on how many would come back.

Raphael arrived at the last second to see him, Leo, and Karai going off to keep Tiger Claw from finding them in the sewers. From what they understood, the humanoid tiger counted on the kunoichi going to the sewer lair, and Shredder did, too…so they planted a tracking device on her without her knowledge and Tiger Claw planned on ambushing them all there. The only way to keep him from reaching the sewer lair and recording its location was to, in fact, come to him and face him once and for all. Thus, they left everyone else to worry whether or not they would return alive.

Karai wasn't going to let what he did go so easily. When she saw Splinter in the dojo, she didn't know what to feel at first. A part of her wanted to believe that Shredder was her real father after all, just so her world wouldn't come crashing down. But she knew the truth…and the rat proved it to her with both a photograph and a tale of how this feud began. The Hamato and Foot Clans were always enemies, and the former decimated the latter, save for one…an infant boy named Oroku Saki. Saki was adopted by the head of the clan, Hamato Yuuta, and raised as a brother alongside Yoshi. Then…Tang Shen came into the picture. Both competed for her affection, but Shen chose Yoshi, both because she truly loved him and because she felt Saki was possessive of her. Then Saki learned of his true heritage and attempted to kill Yoshi…only for her mother to sacrifice herself for the man she loved.

Should anyone feel sorry for Shredder because of what led up to it all? No…because he killed an innocent woman, abducted her child, and fed said child lies to cover up his own wrongdoing, all the while treating her like a tool because she carried Hamato Yoshi's blood in her veins. Well, no more. Too bad things didn't go as they hoped…

Donnie hobbled into the lair alongside Leo, the both of them carrying something with utmost care. That something turned out to be Michelangelo, knocked unconscious from the fight. They had to be extra careful with him, as Tiger Claw hit him so hard it knocked his shell loose. And that wasn't all…despite their best efforts, Tiger Claw took Karai to face the wrath of the Shredder for her betrayal. After all that work, Karai…Miwa was gone once again. Leo felt the most to blame for both her being snatched and his baby brother being hurt. How would they explain this to Splinter? How could they break it to their father that his daughter was snatched away once again?

"Guys!" April called the moment she saw them walking towards the turnstiles. Her relief immediately turned to shock and she asked, "What happened to Mikey? And where's Karai!?"

"His shell's knocked loose…" Donnie replied quietly, he and Leo carrying the freckled turtle in the direction of the lab. "And Karai got taken by Tiger Claw…"

Unfortunately for them, Splinter sat next to the now-awake Casey and Cheyloe on the couch, and heard the news concerning his daughter. His ears immediately drooped and he lowered his head in silent grief. After all these years, he has his daughter for a short time only for her to be taken like she had been as an infant. Cheyloe bit on her lip in silence before patting Casey's knee and getting up to help assess Mikey's condition. As for Raphael, who stood near the lab doors with crossed arms, he instantly shot a glare in Leo's direction and wore a deep scowl.

"…You should've known this would happen, _Fearless_." He spoke with venom, eyeing his unconscious baby brother. "That's what happens when you put a shred of trust in HER."

"…Shut up, Raph." Leo retorted, equal amount of venom in his voice. "Just keep your mouth shut."

Not caring that his words caught his brother off-guard, Leo focused his attention on getting Mikey to the cot in the lab and letting him recover. As for Donatello, he watched the way April and especially Chey eyed him. He had cuts and bruises, but he would live…Mikey would live, too. But he could tell that both were relieved they came back alive, even if it did cost Karai. However, it proved to him even more how dangerous the Foot Clan was, especially if they were willing to turn on one of their own. Karai snatched away, Mikey's shell knocked loose, Casey with a swollen face and broken nose…tonight was HORRIBLE.

But he wouldn't let it happen again. No…he would do whatever it took to make sure something like this didn't happen again.

He wouldn't let the Foot Clan get his brothers.

He wouldn't let the Foot Clan take April.

He wouldn't let the Foot Clan take Cheyloe.

He wouldn't let things get WORSE.


	20. Worse Than Before

**Author's Note: Well, I've finally come down to the juicy bits, and all of you should be prepared for some really sad stuff to happen! So we're going to get a look into Donnie's thoughts after "Vengeance is Mine" and, as I said before, get into the start of "The Invasion". One thing I also did was expand just a little on Leo and Donnie's argument. I wanted to add to it some possible feelings Donnie had about Leo adamantly wanting to find a second base. We're also going to see a start on Cheyloe's past and a mysterious boy connected to it. Ready for some angst? Well, get geared up everyone! Read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 20: Worse than Before

Everything that played out tonight made Donatello feel he was living through a horror movie.

Why did things have to go from bad to worse? Why did this curse have to be put upon his family? What did they do to deserve this? What could possibly top all that occurred?

Those questions all came from one thing: their attempted rescue of Karai. Ever since she was essentially ripped from her father's arms once again, back in the clutches of Shredder himself, he and his brothers worked tirelessly to get her back. Their first attempt involved two thieves who had their own plans concerning the Foot Clan leader. One of the guys could easily be recognized; it was the burly Russian man calling himself 'Ivan Steranko' or something. The other guy was totally unfamiliar; his name turned out to be Anton Zeck, and he was some high-class thief-for-hire. Both of them hoped to cash in on the Shredder's helmet, or the Kuro Kabuto as it was called, but the turtles ended up using it as a failed bargaining chip.

This night, they were able to get the chance they needed, though the circumstances were much different. Donnie picked up word-aka hacked into encrypted files-that Karai was being transported to Stockman's lab for some reason, and decided that maybe it was best that Splinter come along as well to ensure his daughter came home safe. What they found when they arrived was the kunoichi suspended in a small cell above a vat of mutagen. There were small cages containing snakes and rat entrails, and when they all took a step, they became entombed in trap cages…save for Leo and Splinter. Splinter got tied down by the Foot Bots, and Leo made the bold and daring move to break Karai from her bonds.

Shredder had to ruin it all, though. He cut the chain holding up Karai in order to get a blow at Leo…and they all heard the scream Karai let out when she fell straight into the vat of mutagen.

What came out of there was no longer Karai…instead the kunoichi had been replaced by a mindless, serpentine creature that attempted to squeeze their father to death. By some miracle, however, she regained her rationale for enough of a moment to recognize Splinter as her true father, thus sparing his life. That followed by a blast of acid to Raph's face and a fire destroying Stockman's lab. Shredder, not wanting to take responsibility for his own foolishness causing Karai's mutation, shouldered all the blame on Sensei, like usual. Now he was even more dead-set on revenge against their clan…that also meant something else just as dire.

Donnie was the only one capable of synthesizing a successful retromutagen…because of that, he now had a big, fat bullseye on his back.

Now here he was, standing out in the rain on a familiar balcony and forcing himself to knock on the door. The others were probably already home to wallow in their grief…he just wanted a different place to wallow in it. He would've gone to April's to gain comfort, but truthfully, the knowledge that another of the Hamato clan became a mutant wouldn't sit well with Mr. O'Neil. It would probably become a convenient excuse for him to keep her away from them. Raph more than likely already spilled what happened to Casey, so…

"Hello?" A voice called, revealed to be from Cheyloe. When she emerged from the hallway dressed in her loungewear, she was immediately alarmed when she saw her friend standing out in the cold rain. "Donnie? Donnie, get in here before you catch a cold!"

Donatello slogged into the apartment, not caring that he tracked rainwater with each step, before he just leaned over and enveloped Cheyloe into a hug. She was about to ask what happened and tell him he was getting her wet, but halted when she felt the tremor in his shoulders. Whatever happened tonight had him very upset, and she was sure the rain played a part in his shivers. "Donnie…Donnie, come on. Let's get to the sofa, okay? You're shaking so much…"

The genius turtle offered no protest, allowing himself to be herded to the sofa and sitting down. The brunette pulled the quilt draped over the sofa as a decorative piece off and gingerly wrapped it around his shoulders. With that done, she took a seat next to him and placed her hand on the upper part of his shell. "…What happened tonight, Don?"

He didn't want to say it at first, so as not to upset or scare her. But the truth had to come out…both because it was the right thing to do and so she could be prepared for any future events. He took a deep breath and forced himself to confess, "We went to rescue Karai…Sensei came with us to give us an advantage. Shredder had her over a vat of mutagen…he cut the chains and…and she mutated. S-She's now this huge snake wandering around New York, feral like Mr. O'Neil was when he mutated."

Cheyloe gasped, a hand over her mouth in shock. "K-Karai's a mutant now? What about your brothers…and Splinter?"

"They're fine…physically, anyway." The purple-masked turtle murmured. "Splinter's in shock, I just know it…Leo, too. I can already see Leo blaming himself for what happened."

"And what about you?" Chey inquired, placing her hand over his.

Donatello took in her warm touch, and he felt like just breaking down into heaping sobs over everything. He couldn't do that now, though; he had to be strong for his own sake and for his family. Crying wouldn't stop Shredder, and it certainly wouldn't revert Karai back into a human. And crying wouldn't make his friend worry any less. He would be honest, but he wouldn't let his emotions overcome him. "How do you think? Stockman and Rahzar know that I can make retromutagen. If that info gets to Shredder, I may as well become his number one target. Now I have to watch my back every second…expecting the Foot Clan to abduct me and force me to produce a cure for Karai…"

Cheyloe proceeded to grab his hand and gently squeeze it, causing the turtle to look her deep in the eyes and see the determination in them; something to counteract the fear in his. "Donatello…if there's one thing I won't let happen, it's for you to be taken by the Foot Clan. I don't care how strong they are or how many there are; if they want you, they'll have to go through me."

"I…" Donnie fumbled with his words after being shaken by her resolve. But she still didn't get it, did she? She didn't know the full extent of the danger…not like what he saw tonight. "I can't let you do that, Chey. I realized something else tonight. I realized…if Karai can be mutated, it could happen to ANYONE close to us…even YOU."

Now that made sense. Kirby O'Neil already suffered mutation once, that Timothy kid mutated, April thankfully had immunity to it, but still fell in…and now Karai suffered the fate of losing her humanity. So why wouldn't Donnie be scared about anyone else close getting mutated, including her? She understood why he would be afraid, but he didn't need to let that fear consume him. He didn't need to be terrified that, in any moment, he would be a prisoner of the Foot or that she would become a mindless mutant like Karai.

She just wished she could've spoken to the kunoichi again…to tell her she forgave her.

"Cheyloe, you're known to Tiger Claw…and if he passes that information to Shredder, then he might use you as ransom for the retromutagen. O-Or they could do something like turn April one-hundred-percent Kraang! Maybe follow through with the threat to turn my brothers in to snakes! Or even…" Donnie stopped himself when he realized that wasn't making his friend worry any less, and instead averted his gaze to the hardwood floor. "I'm sorry…"

To his surprise, she offered a smile, letting go of his hand and using it to cup his cheek. He instantly froze for a second, but relaxed just as quickly when he took in her touch. It was different from the few times she cupped his cheeks before to calm him down. It didn't just feel calming this time…it felt so warm, serene even. His heart raced due to the stress in his mind, but the pace steadied itself to normal now.

"Donnie…nothing's going to happen to me." Chey spoke gently, her eyes still gazing into his. "Everything's going to be fine…so please, relax. April'll be fine, your brothers'll be fine, and as long as Karai's not in Shredder's grip, she's fine." When the turtle gave a weak smile and a nod, she got to her feet and went towards the kitchen. "Here, I'll fix you some tea to warm you up. While we're waiting, could you go and get a sweatshirt I've got on my dresser? I've gotta keep an eye on this."

With a nod, Donnie escaped the cloth cocoon he enveloped himself in and got up to retrieve the item requested. She probably wanted the shirt because he got hers wet with rainwater, but he hoped she would go change in the bathroom when it came that time. Even with being over here often, he still felt awkward whenever he even passed her room; even more so when going into it. He would probably feel this way if he ever got the sheer-impossible chance of going around April's room…even though lately, the consideration of going inside April's home one day never crossed his mind. Maybe it was the stress of everything lately…he didn't know.

Compared to the last time he wandered in here, he found a pair of jeans loosely draped over the edge of the bed and a pair of sneakers haphazardly scattered on the floor. The closet was cracked open and he caught a glance of several clothes; mostly t-shirts, jeans, and scrubs. His eyes hit the dresser, and there it was: the sweatshirt. As the turtle triumphantly went to grab it, something caught his attention. Right next to the jewelry box was what looked like a slightly-bent photograph. He would've known better than to bother it, but curiosity won out as he gingerly grabbed it.

There was Cheyloe in the photo, only her hair was a little longer, and she had a big, cheesy grin on her face. He didn't know why, but this grin seemed, well, brighter compared to the grins he always saw her show. But that wasn't what really caught his attention. Right next to her in the photo appeared to be a young boy, somewhere around seven or eight years old by his estimation. The boy looked to be of some Native American descent, and he had a grin flashing a gap where he lost a few baby teeth. He looked for a date on the photo, and found it to be from about two years ago.

Who was this boy, though?

"Donnie, did you find-" Cheyloe stepped into the room to check on the genius turtle, but promptly stopped when she saw him holding and studying the photograph. Donnie didn't catch her hands starting to tremble, and she was glad he didn't. If he did, and he asked questions, it would bring up some things she'd rather forget. Now taking in quiet, shallow breaths, she mumbled out, "U-Um…"

"Chey, who's this boy in this picture?" The purple-banded turtle asked curiously. "You've never mentioned him before."

"Oh, uh…h-he was a boy I made friends with a couple of years ago." The brunette hesitantly replied, fidgeting her fingers. "W-Well, you could say I became a temporary guardian for him, actually…"

Donnie was about to ask further on the matter, but when he turned to face her, he noticed the way she looked towards the photo; she looked almost like she was about to face an execution squad or something similar. Why would a photo cause this abrupt change in her demeanor? Did something happen to that boy that she didn't want to disclose? If she acted like this about it…then maybe he shouldn't bring it up anymore. "S-Sorry, Cheyloe…I'll drop the matter, if that's what you want."

"N-No, no, it's okay!" Chey insisted, holding her hands up and forcing a smile. "W-We can talk about it…just not right now. So, how about that tea?"

* * *

"…And then she started acting jittery over that photo."

Michelangelo leaned over the desk, having listened intently to Donatello recounting what happened over at Cheyloe's apartment. Normally, he would be up poking around at whatever his brother occupied himself in tinkering with, sometimes even breaking said project and getting a scolding. After what happened to Karai, though, he didn't want to add any more stress on Donnie, and he certainly didn't feel like forcing happiness on anyone. Splinter hadn't left the dojo in days, except to eat and call them for training. Leo would be in the same state if it weren't for them encouraging him to keep looking. Raph, though, acted like finding Karai was a chore; it was obvious he still had hard feelings towards her for her involvement with the Foot.

Him? He wanted to focus on finding his sister and bringing her home, where Donnie could give her a dose of retromutagen and they would be a complete family. Maybe April could use those funky Kraang powers to find her; it worked in finding her dad. Casey usually helped April with searching for Karai, but Mikey clearly saw the hockey player seeing these searches more as dates with the redhead. He could see how much it irked Donnie, and the fact that April didn't exactly say 'no' to the boy calling them 'dates'…girls were confusing.

"I mean, I never saw someone get that way about a photo." Donnie went on, mixing a few chemicals in a beaker while going over some schematics. "I was going to ask her to come over and see the plans for the Turtle Mech, but after that, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable."

"Maybe something happened to that boy in the picture." The freckled turtle suggested. "He could've got sent away, or…"

"Or?" The genius turtle questioned, until his eyes widened slightly. "Mikey, you're not trying to suggest that boy might've died, are you?"

Mikey quickly shrugged, trying to save face. "I-I dunno, D. That's something you're gonna have to ask Chey. She trusts you, so she'll tell you! I mean, you guys talk about a lot of stuff compared to…"

"What? Compared to what, Mikey?"

The orange-masked turtle bit on his lip and fidgeted his fingers before bringing himself to answer, "Compared to you and April. I mean, don't you still like her? Heck, you talk about more stuff with her than you do me! Aren't things still cool between us, D?"

Donnie sat down some of his welding equipment and stared confused at his brother, but then his expression melded into one of guilt. Mikey had a point; things WERE supposed to be cool between them ever since the genius turtle accused his brothers of being unappreciative. That, and he realized how he now didn't share too many intimate things with April like he used to. His justification was that she just got her dad back again, and he didn't want to impose on that. Plus, the retromutagen and his Turtle Mech project took up a majority of his time, especially since they all learned of an upcoming Kraang invasion and perfected mutagen.

"Looks like I'll have to make it up to you, huh?" Donnie mused lightly, noticing his brother perking up. "How about we both go to Chey's place sometime and ask Kaitlyn how to make some cheesecake, huh?"

"Did you say what I think you just said, bro?" The freckled turtle questioned, a grin growing on his face, before tackling his brother to the ground in a hug. "That would be AWESOME! Thanks, D! You're the best!"

Donnie offered a chuckle, gently lifting himself and his younger brother off the floor. This was something he honestly took enjoyment out of, even with the looming threat of a full-scale invasion and the Foot Clan wanting their blood. The genius turtle didn't want to admit it out-loud, but sometimes he wished that they never ran into the Kraang or the Foot Clan. After close to seventeen years of peace, that concept now seemed foreign, and he'd actually give anything to have it back.

But he remembered, had they not gone to the surface that night, the Kraang would've had April and her father, Karai would keep going on living her life under a lie, and he never would've gotten acquainted with Cheyloe Doggett. Sometimes he had to make himself sit back and realize that even with all the doom and gloom around them, there were many positives…many reasons to keep fighting. Because of those reasons, he would keep working on the retromutagen and their secret weapon, no matter the cost.

"Hey, Donnie…you think the retromutagen'll work on Karai?" Mikey suddenly asked. "I mean, you said Stock-Fly must've poured something into the mutagen besides that snake DNA, right? You don't think it'll be permanent for her, do you?"

"…I don't know, Mikey." The purple-masked turtle admitted. "It's possible Stockman was working on his own retromutagen and that got in the mix. If that's the case, Kaari may actually develop an immunity to retromutagen, like April has immunity to regular mutagen." He rested his cheek in his palm and let out a deep sigh. "But if the Kraang perfect the mutagen, how do we know April will still be immune to it? What will it do to regular people, even?"

Mikey slid over to his brother and cupped his shoulder. When he looked up due to the action, the freckled turtle just wore the biggest smile he could muster. "You worry too much, Donnie! If anybody can figure all this out, it's you! I believe in you, bro; you'll de-mutate Karai, keep April and Chey from being mutated, and save the city with our giant robot! I mean, seriously, what CAN'T you do?"

True, there were many things Donatello could do: create a cure for mutation, build all sorts of machines, patch wounds, and even defuse bombs. Yet…there were just as many things that he couldn't do…like finding a way to take down the Kraang and the Foot for good.

"I honestly wish I could do more, Mikey."

* * *

This was a week Donnie desperately wanted to forget.

Maybe he was making too big of a deal about it, but how could he? One of those things that made this week so horrible was what he and his brothers encountered from exploring one place he NEVER wanted to go back to…Dimension X. Everything started when that Kraang Communication orb April discovered long ago started going crazy again. This time, however, it wasn't a Kraang message…it was an SOS from their long-thought-dead friend, Leatherhead. Poor guy…thanks to what he later determined was a difference in the time flow between dimensions, the alligator mutant looked, well, like an old geezer. Mikey jumped through their homemade portal mere seconds before they did, and that equaled months in Dimension X. He still couldn't get the image of his baby brother dressed as a survivalist out of his mind…

But after dealing with things like Raph having his mind swapped with a Kraang, Karai's mutation into a snake, and a ghost kidnapping April and her friend Irma, learning about how close the invasion really was proved to be the biggest wake-up call yet. They only had a matter of days, no, HOURS until the Earth was in danger, and that gave him less time to finish the Turtle Mech. Leo went on and on about wanting to plot an escape route and find a secondary lair outside the city, but who had the time for that? With aliens getting ready to invade in what could be hours, finding a substitute lair would be a sheer impossibility.

The only option they had was to use the Turtle Mech and take down the Kraang where they stood.

Now that they had Leatherhead back in the game, it gave them a slight increase in their chances of victory. Even so, a little more firepower would help. That's when the genius turtle thought about Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn. They were superhumans, so if they agreed to it, their abilities would help out even more. Knowing how much Cheyloe cared about him, and her friends cared about her, getting them to agree wouldn't be hard. But that lead to another issue all together: the Foot Clan. Once the Kraang were dealt with, they still had the enemy ninja clan to deal with…and what would they do once they found Karai?

"Hungry, Donnie?" Mikey asked quietly, offering his brother a slice of pizza.

Donnie shook his head and kept his eyes on the computer screen, rubbing them every few minutes. "I'm not hungry, Mikey. I'm too nervous to eat! Any minute now, the invasion could start!" He paused and glanced over at something very large covered by tarps and surrounded by welding equipment and other miscellaneous tools. "But…I'm prepared. I've got just the thing that'll curb-stomp the Kraang! I…just hope it works."

"And what exactly is it you have in mind, Donnie?"

The genius turtle paused to see Leonardo and Splinter entering the lab, both with hardened expressions. Raph would be here to see this as well, if he wasn't out with Casey scouting for Karai/Miwa. April was probably out hanging with that Irma girl; he didn't know why, but something about that friend of hers put him off. Casey often complained about Irma, but he figured it was the classic 'third-wheel syndrome', but Cheyloe expressed similar feelings about the other girl after running into her the night of Tiger Claw's attack. Maybe they were all overthinking things, but…

Now standing up, Donnie forced a smile and went over to whatever he had underneath the massive amounts of tarp. "All right everyone…I present to our ultimate weapon!" He grabbed the tarp and yanked it off, revealing a humungous turtle-styled battle robot made from every kind of scrap metal. "The Turtle Mech! I have it fully armed with rockets, flamethrowers, and even an electro-harpoon! Guaranteed to stop a Kraang invasion army, or your money back!"

Mikey instantly started into his 'fan-boy' mode, ogling the robot. "Giant robots are awesome! I vote the Turtle Mech!"

Leo stared at it; the way his eyes narrowed, the genius turtle instantly knew he disapproved of the invention. Before he could add anymore positives, the lead turtle spoke, "Donnie, that thing's not even ready! It could damage New York more than help it!"

"It's ready enough!" Donnie retorted, his eyes narrowing as well.

The blue-masked turtle still resisted. "There's got to be another way. We need to set up a second base outside the city!"

"The Turtle Mech is SOLID!" The purple-masked turtle snapped, slamming his hands on his desk to release his building frustration. "If **I** were leader, I'd-"

"But you're NOT leader, Donnie! I AM!"

"ENOUGH!"

Both turtles paused when Splinter shouted followed by slamming his cane to the floor. Whenever their father did this, they always knew the best thing to do was shut up and listen. They both turned to see the rat's eyes narrowed and his breath forced out of his nostrils. "Your egos fight one another when you should be preparing to fight the Kraang!"

But Donnie refused to back down on this. Just because Leo was the leader didn't mean he was always right, and the last thing he wanted was for Splinter to end up siding with the teacher's pet. That's how it always ended, didn't it? Leo's opinion was the only one that mattered because he was the favorite of the brothers! Wow, now he began to know how Raph felt, and that was scary. He pushed that thought out, determined to get back to focus and be declared the winner of this argument. "Leo, the Turtle Mech is our only answer! Be reasonable for once in your life!"

"I AM being reasonable!" Leo retorted, hiding the hurt he felt from the last of Donnie's statement. "We need a second base, Donnie…PERIOD!"

"No you're NOT!" The genius turtle spat, bringing all the venom he could into his tone as he stomped up to his brother and shoved a finger in his face. "Everything has to be YOUR way, doesn't it? It's always been either your way or the highway! Even when your plans clearly FAIL, we still have to go through with them because YOU'RE the all-powerful leader and we're just your little soldiers! When I have a plan of action, one that would CLEARLY work, you just ignore it in favor of your faulty ideas! For once, get off your high-horse and listen to someone else's opinion! All you ever do is lead us into DISASTER!"

Leo stood and gaped his mouth open like a fish out of water, unable to utter a syllable. Donnie took that as a cue that he won the debate…but why did he feel awful now? Oh yeah…he crossed the line. His ego wouldn't let him utter any apologies right now; all that mattered was that he got his feelings on the table and he won the argument. He did his best to ignore the heartache flashing in his brother's eyes; the confidence in them draining away as quickly as his anger. Whatever concern he had and urges to say he was sorry lessened when his eldest brother put on that stoic mask of his to hide the sting of Donnie's words.

Besides…the primary thing he needed to do now was get the Turtle Mech ready for action.

"Guys!"

Everyone in the lab stopped when they heard the familiar, desperate voice calling for them. That was April, but why did she sound so distressed? Did something happen to her dad again? Or was she chased by the Foot or Kraang? When the turtles and rat exited the lab, the redhead stood panting at the turnstiles…and she wasn't alone. On the ground, obviously from tripping, was that weird girl she always hung out with at school: Irma. They didn't know this girl, and she didn't know them; what was April thinking in bringing her here?

"April! Why'd you bring a complete stranger to the lair!?" Donnie spat, his anger from earlier still burning. "You know that's against the rules!"

"I-I'm sorry guys!" April frantically apologized. "But Foot Bots were after us, and Irma was already with me, and…don't worry, Irma's great at keeping secrets! Trust me!"

Splinter got a good look at the teenager girl next to April, struggling to find her glasses and get up. As much as he considered April a daughter to him, even she wasn't exempt from the strict rules he had in place. Right now, she broke the number one rule: don't bring outsiders to the lair. "April…you brought a human to the lair!?"

The group watched this Irma girl finally reach her glasses, put them back on, and get up to see them in plain view. When she started twitching and mumbling the word 'turtles' over and over, it was summed up to a case of shock. Even when April started to introduce her to them, the twitching and mumbling continued. April wasn't even this shocked when she first met them, so this was getting old fast. Everything changed fast…starting with that Irma girl's neck extending onto a pole, followed by glowing red eyes and a mechanical voice chanting the word 'turtles'. Her body started coming apart, like those fake humans in the Men in Black movies, revealing something they never could've predicted.

A Kraang. A freaking Kraang.

"O-Oh my gosh…Irma was a Kraang the entire time!?" The redhead shrieked.

This Kraang was a little different, sporting scars and an eyepatch, and when it laughed, it didn't do it in the normal Kraang monotone. "You lowly insects! Kneel before the genius of Kraang Sub-Prime, greatest Kraang spy in all of Dimension X! The discovery of the lair was the final component, needed to launch FULL SCALE INVASION!"

Donatello blinked and held his breath when the unthinkable happened. He didn't know how many there were, but multitudes of portals from Dimension X opened up in their very home, followed by multitudes of Kraang Droids flooding out like an army of ants. He wished this was just some grotesque nightmare he would awaken from any second now, because this couldn't be happening HERE. But he knew better…he knew that this would've happened sooner than later.

The Kraang Invasion had officially begun.

* * *

Terrified blue-green eyes watched the scene unfolding out on the streets through the kitchen window. Those triangle-shaped gateways to God-knows-where opened up at every corner, with those strange robots pouring out and shooting at random people. Some were struck down, children bolted crying for their parents, and many even tried to hide in their cars. And then bigger portals opened up to spew out hovercrafts and something like those walking vehicles from Star Wars. So...this is the alien invasion Donnie warned her about.

Cheyloe forced herself away from the window, terror morphing into determination. Frowning and knitting her eyebrows, she rushed for her room and dove for the bed to pull out a box. She opened it and pulled out several clips of ammunition for her pistol, stuffing them into her pockets. If aliens were going to invade and put her friends in danger, she wasn't just going to hide in her apartment like a coward. She needed to protect them; she needed to protect Donatello. Her eyes went to the dresser and onto the photograph the turtle discovered a week earlier. Tears began to prickle the corners of her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. She had to keep herself under control.

She had to go and help them, even if it ended up killing her.

"Cheyloe!?" Anna called when she rushed into the room. "Cheyloe, you'd better NOT be thinking about going out there and fighting!"

"Who else will!?" Chey retorted, stuffing her pistol into its holster. "You guys see what's going on, and Donnie and his family are caught up in it! You know that as well as I do!"

Kaitlyn appeared and gave a grunt and a nod. "Anna, ya know we gotta bust some aliens open! We're superhumans, remember!?"

"B-But we've never faced ALIENS before!" The ponytailed brunette insisted. "The best we can do is to find everyone and get out of New York before they, or WE, get killed!"

The brunette huffed and stared at the floor, teeth gritted until they started to ache. In truth, it would've been wiser to evacuate the city than face aliens she was unfamiliar with. Even with being superhuman, the odds stacked against them, and considerably. But her mind flashed to the turtles, and focused on Donatello. That ended giving her the courage she needed to make her decision on the matter.

"…Well I don't know about you, but I'm not going to let someone else I care deeply about die." Cheyloe declared lowly before looking at her friends. "If I don't come back, then you two need to get out of here. Go back to Kentucky, even. And if you see my parents…tell them that I love them, and that I'm sorry."

As Cheyloe rushed out the door to get to the rooftops, she promptly ignored the cries of her friends beckoning her to come back. Any rationale she had earlier went away in favor of saving those she adored. Would she make it back? She didn't know…but that didn't matter.

One way or another, this invasion would stop NOW.


	21. Snatched Away

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I finally have the conclusion to "The Invasion" and what's happened. This chapter is a little shorter, but I didn't want to add too much stuff to it. But as I said before, be prepared for some sad scenes, especially for Donnie. The question is, will everyone he cares about make it out alive? Now, I won't spend too much on the Northampton Arc, and I also want to write about the Mutanimals and how they hold up in New York, along with someone else. And if you wish, send in some prompts for my upcoming drabble series! Have a scenario in Turtle Dove you wish for? Well, send it in! Anyway, like usual, read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 21: Snatched Away

 _"_ _Where do we go now?"_

 _"_ _Let's take the left tunnel! It'll take us to the Turtle Mech!"_

 _"_ _We have to find Casey and Raph!"_

 _"_ _We can find them in the Mech! Leo we need to-"_

 _"_ _I'm doing what Splinter WANTS us to do! You should know that, Donnie!"_

 _"_ _But Leo-"_

 _"_ _LOOK OUT!"_

Donatello winced and clutched at his arm again after he replayed the argument in his memories. He could honestly say, as crazy as it sounded, he deserved to get shot in the arm by the Kraang. It had to be the guilt from telling Leonardo he led them into disaster that fueled this need for punishment, or how they were practically going to leave him behind in favor of finding Raphael and Casey. But the moment they got out of the tunnels and reached the surface, Donnie decided he would go find Leo and help him against the Kraang assault while April and Michelangelo went to her apartment. Not only just for the sake of helping his eldest brother, but also as a way to apologize for the things he said.

He ignored the subtle drops of blood hitting the ground as they fell from the wound on his arm. Patching it up would have to wait; his brother's safety mattered more. Once he found Leo, he would drag him to April's place, find Splinter, and obey his brother's command to leave the city and find a second home base. One where not even the Kraang or Foot Clan could track them down. But even with that…were they just going to leave New York and its people to suffer? Timothy, Mr. Murakami, Karai, and…

Donatello froze the moment the final name crossed his mind: Cheyloe! He had to find her, too! Once he found Leo, the both of them could hurry to her apartment and get her and her friends to safety. He had to make sure to avoid any Kraang, and if the Kraang were running amuck, it was more than likely the Foot Clan was doing the same. Once they got everyone together, they would have to leave the city and figure out a way to trounce the Kraang and their perfected mutagen. Something, anything, just to save their city and their planet from these soulless aliens!

The genius turtle stiffened the moment he heard gunshots in the distance.

"Cheyloe!?" Donnie shouted in panic. "Cheyloe, where are you!?"

He placed his hand to the side of his head to focus on the noise amidst the chaos going on. Another shot rang out and he bolted in the direction of the echo. That caught the attention of a few Kraang Droids and they began shooting at him. He dodged the blasts and bounced from rooftop to rooftop, until he finally saw her. There she was, putting bullets in a small group of Kraang. He was tempted to take a sample of the Kraang blood hitting the rooftops, but that was the least of his worries. As long as she remained unscathed, he could care less about a few lifeless brain aliens scattered around.

"Cheyloe!"

The brunette turned her head as she ejected the empty clip from her pistol to put in another. "Donnie!" She loaded her pistol and ran over to hug him, but stopped when she took notice of his arm. "Donnie, did they hurt you!?"

"It's nothing! C'mon, we have to get to April's right now!" The genius turtle insisted, grabbing her arm with his good one and beginning to run. "Where are Anna and Kaitlyn!?"

"Back at the apartment! I told them to get out of the city!" Chey spoke hurriedly. "Are the others at April's, too?"

"Everyone except Leo and Splinter! Raph and Casey are on their way, too! We gotta gather there so we can get out of New York!" He suddenly stopped in his sprint when pain shot through his arm again, making him groan and squeeze his eyes shut. "Gah…stupid arm!"

Cheyloe stopped behind him before taking his arm in her grasp and examining the wound. "Donnie, it looks pretty bad. When we get to April's place, I'll patch it up! It'll get infected if we wait too long, so let's hurry-"

The brunette was cut off by the sound of loud, metallic stomping closing in on them. Donnie instantly swallowed a lump in his throat and slowly turned his head in the direction of the noise. Sure enough, slowly approaching them was one of those dreaded Kraang walkers, like the one they fought when dealing with Slash and Newtralizer. The walker stopped in its stalking and turned in the duo's direction, building up power for a concentrated blast. Both of them gasped before the genius turtle immediately started running again and dragging the young woman behind him.

"Go, go, go! We gotta move!" Donnie panicked. "Hurry, Cheyloe!"

The two managed to hop onto the rooftop of an adjacent building several yards from April's apartment and the Second Time Around shop. If they weren't currently being pursued and dodging a huge laser blast, they would've noticed a giant hole in the street below; a memento of the Kraathatrogon incident a couple of months earlier. Due to delays on the repairs, construction workers had to set down flimsy boards, both for people to get around and as a means to warn them away. Donatello right now let go of Cheyloe's arm and jumped to the next building over, turning around to see where she was. Why wasn't she jumping? Looking at the distance between that building and this one, and his advantage with ninja training, he now saw why. But still, she had to get over here and do it now!

"Cheyloe, come on! We're almost there!" The genius turtle beckoned.

"Donnie, it's too far!" Cheyloe cried, seeing the walker approaching. "I won't make it!"

"Yes you will!" Donnie argued, outstretching his hand. "I'll catch you! I won't let you fall!"

The brunette hesitated, biting her lip and clenching her hands into fists. If she was going to jump this far, she would have to lighten her load. So she pulled her gun out of its holster, followed by the clips she had on her person, and threw them onto the rooftop where Donnie was, the turtle dodging them. Now a few pounds lighter, she stepped back some, took a deep breath, and got a running start before attempting to jump. As her feet were ready to lift from the surface…another laser blast from the Kraang walker hit the building and broke the rooftop into pieces. With basically nothing beneath her, Cheyloe began a rapid descent, with Donnie having to watch in horror.

"DONNIE!" Cheyloe screamed, reaching for him.

"CHEYLOE!"

Donnie attempted to reach his hand for her, but it was already too late. In the midst of the debris, Cheyloe plummeted to the ground, but, instead of hitting the concrete and becoming a bloody puddle, she crashed through the weak boards covering the hole…right where frigid water collected underground. That wouldn't be so much of a problem, except some of the building debris fell in with her; she also made the remark one visit that she couldn't swim. With all of that factoring together, she would be…

"C-Cheyloe…" Donnie mumbled, falling to his knees and still reaching for her. "N-No…no…NO!"

The genius turtle slammed his fist to the asphalt, fighting back tears and the urge to scream once again. Metallic footsteps brought him out of his moment of grief and he knew he had to keep moving…with or without finding Leo. He took notice of the pistol and numerous clips laying near him; the only things he had left of his friend. A frown on his face, he grabbed the pistol and clips and stuffed them into his belt with his good arm. Right now, he would have to get to April's and gather his thoughts, get patched up, and get his family together…

With one less member now.

"Cheyloe…I'm so sorry…"

* * *

 _"_ _D, you're alive!"_

 _"_ _D-Donatello, y-you're safe…"_

 _"_ _Donnie! Thank goodness! Did you find Leo?"_

 _"…"_

 _"…_ _Donnie? What's wrong?"_

April didn't know what to say to Donatello right now. It shouldn't have surprised her that he came back fruitless in his search for Leo. Was that why he looked so defeated and broken? Or was it all due to the chaos erupting around them? Her dad wasn't faring any better; he laid in a heap on the floor, crying his eyes out. Raph and Casey were still on their way, and according to them, being chased by none-other than Kraang Prime. Could this day get any worse? Her best friend for a year turned out to be an alien spy, and she felt like the entire invasion wouldn't have started if not for her. Why couldn't she sense that Irma wasn't human? Did the Kraang know how to work around her abilities? Hopelessness filled her, probably from sensing it flooding out of Donnie. Just what happened out there?

"I'm almost done, Donnie." April assured, tying the bandages on his arm and being as meticulous as she could. Giving a grunt, she muttered, "Where's Cheyloe when you need her? She would have a splint or some antiseptic…"

She didn't catch the genius turtle cringing at the mention of the brunette, but she could sense his distress increasing. Once they got Leo and Splinter, everything would be okay, right? But then, how would they find Karai? Where was Cheyloe, anyway? Maybe they all left the city in time; she hoped so, from the bottom of her heart. As she got ready to tighten the bandages on Donnie's arm and keep them secure, the turtle decided to clear his throat and address her.

"April…" He began softly, his voice slightly cracked. "T-Things aren't looking good right now. I just want to tell you, well…if something happens that we can't get out of the city, I want to let you know something…"

Wait a minute, what was he doing? What was he going to say to her? Oh no…was he really going to use this of all times to give some grand confession of love? Sure, it did look like the world was coming to an end; an Armageddon people preached and preached about for years that never came true until now. Still, Leo remained missing in action, and Splinter shared that status, and her dad still freaked out over all of this. The last thing she wanted to hear was a romantic near-death confession! Did that mean she didn't like Donnie in that way? She didn't know, really, but right now it wasn't appropriate. Not with their home in danger. So how would she shut him up? Simple…tying the bandages a little too tight did wonders.

When the genius turtle cried out in pain, the redhead feigned a smile and averted her eyes. "Ooh, sorry, Donnie! You should probably stop talking! It just…makes things hurt more."

Donatello winced, scratching at the bandages and trying to figure out exactly what April meant by those words. What did she do that for, anyway? She didn't even give him the chance to speak to her…and tell her that he lost Cheyloe while getting here and that he wanted to make sure that she didn't suffer the same fate. Did he also want to confess that he had a crush on her? Maybe…but a stupid crush didn't compare to having watched a friend possibly die. He started fumbling for his T-Phone, brushing against the pistol and ammunition, hoping to get in touch with his eldest brother. Mikey wasn't having any luck, but maybe he would.

"Guys! You here!?"

The genius turtle and everyone else turned to see Raphael and Casey entering the living room, both looking winded. No sooner did they enter did April rush over to the hockey player and envelop him in a tight hug. "Oh, Casey! I thought I'd lost you forever!"

Donnie gritted his teeth and felt many emotions swirling in his brain. Hurt over April cutting him off, grief over watching Cheyloe falling and screaming, guilt for yelling at Leonardo and leaving Splinter behind…and now rage at April and Casey practically rubbing his loss in his face. Granted, they didn't know what happened to her yet; he still reeled from the shock to say anything about it. But here they were, just hugging on each other like a couple in a cheesy romantic-comedy, while he sat there alone.

"Uh, I hate to break up your dear reunion…" The purple-masked turtle began in a biting tone. "…but Leo's still out there!"

"What!?" Raph spat, shoving his way to his brother. "Where is he!?"

Mikey decided to pipe in. "Long story, dude. Basically…"

At that second, with the belief things couldn't possibly get worse, the windows shattered as a result of something of considerable force being thrown in. What was it being thrown into April's apartment? Everyone watched in absolute horror as Leonardo crashed through the window, bloody and broken, and landed on the hardwood floor in front of them. Donnie was the first to shoot up from the sofa and go to his brother's side, not noticing Raph following suit. No, this couldn't be happening. First Cheyloe, and now Leo?

"Leo, c'mon, wake up!" Raph begged, roughly patting his older brother's cheek. "D-Donnie, is he…"

Donnie pressed his finger to the side of Leo's neck and waited a few seconds to find the pulse. "…He's alive…but barely."

Mikey gasped when his eyes locked onto his eldest brother's shell. "His shell's cracked! We gotta help him now!"

"TURTLES! COME OUT!"

That voice…Tiger Claw. So, his speculation was right…the Foot Clan was still in cahoots with the Kraang and now they punished them for Karai's mutation by leaving Leo barely breathing and broken like a china doll. Now that the Foot Clan knew where they were and knew April's place of residence, they had to leave immediately. Kirby piped up about taking them to a vehicle big enough to hold them all, and the temperamental turtle scooped their fallen leader onto his back. Mikey took the moment to use the O'Neil sofa as a weapon when Rahzar tried to jump in through the broken window, and Donnie inwardly declared Tiger Claw was his to deal with. If he could, he would go to Shredder himself and take his head off, because that was the only man who could beat Leo into his current state.

The group ran down the hall and out of the apartment building, taking down several Foot Bots and Donnie managing to land several blows to Rahzar and Tiger Claw. Not far away was the dreaded Kraang Prime and several Kraang Droids, but those were tame compared to the morbidity of dozens of freshly-mutated people, crystalline trees, and Rocktopus creatures. They all rounded the corner and stopped in front of an old van, one from around the 60's or 70's, with 'Dr. Kirby' painted on the back.

"Mr. O'Neil, what is this?" Donnie questioned, staring at the strange van in confusion.

"It's my old Party Wagon from my hippie days." Kirby replied, forcing a smile. "We can use it to get to Northampton. Groovy, right?"

Right before the man could open the door and get into the driver's seat, a giant glob of mutagen landed right on top of him, turning him into a Kraang/human monstrosity within seconds. Everyone let out a cry of shock as the Kraang Kirby screeched and started reaching towards his all-too-terrified daughter.

"DAD!" April screamed, backing away from the mutated man.

"Come on, we have to go!" Donnie insisted, helping Raph load Leo into the back of the van. "We have to find Splinter!"

Casey took the initiative to hop into the driver's seat of the van and start it up. "Hey, you guys go find Splinter! I'll keep an eye on Leo and go find my dad and sister!"

The genius turtle gave a curt nod, turning his direction to the pathway to the lair. "All right everyone, let's go and get Splinter! Before it's too late!"

* * *

 _"_ _No, please, don't do it!" Donatello cried, gripping the steel bars with white knuckles._

 _"_ _Don't you dare!" Raphael warned in a loud snarl._

 _"_ _Master Splinter!" Michelangelo cried in desperation._

 _The battle had been a fierce one, but it turned in the direction none of them wanted it to. Splinter put up a valiant fight against the man who effectively ruined his life; the black spot on the once-proud Hamato Clan. This duel of former brothers appeared evenly matched at first, and at one point Splinter had the upper hand. But the moment he had his back turned, Oroku Saki seized the opportunity to take him down, and take him down hard. Donnie, Raph, Mikey, and April watched in terror and disbelief as their Sensei-their_ _ **father**_ _-slumped to the edge of the water. He wasn't dead, but he wasn't getting up anytime soon._

 _The madman in armor picked him up by the scruff of his neck, turned the wheel to stir the water into a bottomless whirlpool, and tossed the rat into the torrent as though he were garbage. He would likely drown; how could anyone survive that? That action had Raph flying into a rage, trying to break the bars separating them from the Shredder with his bare hands. Mikey attempted to calm him down, and April broke down into tears. When the red-masked turtle almost turned on his brethren with white eyes, a roar, and a readied fist, the orange-masked turtle did what he knew to do: wrap his brother in a comforting hug and give him words of encouragement. The action made Raph freeze in his actions before closing his tear-filled eyes and returning his brother's embrace._

 _"…_ _It's gonna be okay, Raph…"_

 _Donnie felt helpless through all of it, and could only watch the redhead wiping at her eyes. "…April…"_

 _"…_ _We're not running, Donnie." April declared in a cracked voice, turning around to face him with a determined gaze. "We stay and fight."_

If only those words came to be true.

Donatello jolted awake at that recent memory when the van hit a bump in the road. Raphael and Michelangelo were on the other side, curled up to each other in slumber, while April and Casey sat up front concentrating on the open road. By his calculations, they were already ten minutes out of New York, and still utterly defeated by the Foot Clan and the Kraang. They went back to the lair and gathered a few things to take with them; Raph took a photo of Spike, Mikey took Ice Cream Kitty and some food, April grabbed the photos of the four turtles and of Splinter, Tang Shen, and Miwa, and he grabbed his emergency money, laptop, medical kit, and Cheyloe's pistol and ammo. The others still didn't know that it was on his person, but he didn't care right now.

His eyes immediately went to the unconscious Leonardo and he recollected more on what happened earlier. They actually got the crazy idea to go on and use the Turtle Mech against Kraang Prime, even though their intent was to use it to destroy Foot Headquarters and Shredder. The Mech put up a decent fight against the alien leader, but it proved to be faulty all along; all it took was an electrical shock. Thankfully, April's psychokinetic abilities activated, followed by Casey showing up and ramming Kraang Prime with the Party Wagon. At the last second, they were all able to flee from New York, all but in one piece. The genius turtle wished they had more with them, however.

Master Splinter, Karai, Mr. O'Neil, Timothy, Casey's dad and sister, Cheyloe and her friends…

The last one did it for him. His lips quivered before he buried his head in his arms and choked out a few quiet sobs. None of this would've happened if he hadn't had that stupid argument with Leo. If he'd just listened in the first place and went to look for safety, Leo wouldn't be near death and their friends and family wouldn't be gone. If Leo were to die, Donnie didn't want the last talk between them to be how he basically told Leo he was a disastrous leader. How could he possibly even begin to fix his brother?

Because of his stupid pride, he lost his father, one of his best friends, and was on the verge of losing his oldest brother.

"Donnie?" April asked in a whisper. "How are you holding up?"

The purple-masked turtle looked up, eyes now bloodshot, and sniffled. "…How do you THINK? We've lost our home, our friends and family…and it's all my fault."

April shook her head in disagreement. "It's not your fault…if you want anyone to blame, blame me. None of this would've happened if I hadn't have brought Irma to the lair…"

Donnie glanced at his sleeping brothers before going back to Leo. "You didn't hear the argument we had, April…I told him he just led us into disaster…told him to get off his high-horse…basically told him he didn't matter. If I had just _listened_ , he'd be okay…Splinter would be with us…Cheyloe would be with us…"

The redhead reached back and placed her hand on top of Donnie's head, not noticing him stiffen up. She wanted to cry alongside him and share in his grief, but she couldn't, or rather didn't want to, shed any tears. Right now, she had to be strong and keep everyone from falling apart, even with their losses. Right now, they had to retreat…and what better place to retreat than the old home from her childhood? All the way up in Northampton. Once there, they would help Leo heal and wake up, build up their strength, and then try again. They also had to heal physically and mentally…starting with getting their grief out of the way and focusing on bringing down the ones who caused that grief.

"…We'll get through this, Donnie. We all will."

 _We all will._

Donnie wanted to snort over that and start an argument…but what good would that do? It wouldn't bring anyone back or de-mutate them. It wouldn't miraculously free New York from Kraang and Foot control. Right now, as the substitute leader of this team, he had to find some way to keep this team together, heal the true leader, and get their home and loved ones back.

…All the while trying to keep his sanity in check.

* * *

The waters in the sewers lay still, save for water dripping from leaky pipes above. The winter season made it absolutely frigid, and it was made worse by the gaping hole above. In the water lay scattered debris from a broken building, along with pieces of metal from defeated Kraang Droids. Compared to above, it was absolutely quiet underground…until something moved through the debris and out of the water. A few brick pieces fell away when whatever was buried beneath groaned and pushed them away, followed by a cough and spilled water.

Letting out a few more weak coughs, the young woman wiped at her bloody forehead and moved her bangs out of her face, trying to get a look at her surroundings. Everything hurt when she tried to move, especially her chest and her right leg. By her guess, she probably fractured her tibia and broke quite a few of her ribs. How did she get here? Wait…there was the rooftop, the blast, her falling, her reaching for…

"…D-Donnie…" She groaned, forcibly pulling herself out of the debris and freezing water to the dry walkway a few inches from her. She let out a hiss of pain and crawled a few more inches before lying flat on her back and staring at the ceiling of the tunnel. "D…Don…"

Finally, her strength gave out, leaving her breathing shallow breaths and shivering from the cold. Her jacket was too wet to keep her warm, and if she didn't get somewhere soon, she would die of exposure. No…she couldn't go out like this, not while her loved ones were still out there, possibly hurt and scared. Not while…she still had to make everything right.

"…I'm…sorry…Donnie…" Cheyloe murmured between breaths, closing her eyes. "…I'm…sorry…E-Embry…"

If she had kept her eyes open just a minute longer and stayed awake, she would've caught the sound of a hiss. She would've caught the curious, green, serpentine eyes watching her from the darkness. Watching her with an inquisitive and protective gaze…


	22. Picking up the Pieces

**Author's Note: Well, here's the Northampton Arc, and boy are emotions running high! Now I want to explain something concerning Donnie in this chapter, so he doesn't seem to be out-of-character. Donnie, because of what happened in the invasion, is under so much stress that he's having trouble keeping his feelings bottled up. I think 2012 Donnie, despite being more irritable than previous incarnations, is still capable of hiding his feelings when needed. Right now, he's not doing a good job of it, and he's getting angry...like 2003 Season 4 Leo angry. Question is, will he lash out and at who? And what's happened to Cheyloe, Karai, and Master Splinter? Well, read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 22: Picking Up the Pieces

 _Dear Journal,_

 _I'm writing to you about our first few days up here at my old farmhouse. Everyone seems to be adapting to being here already…except for Donnie. He's holed himself up in the barn, trying to work on some sort of mutagen-based medicine for Leo. Speaking of Leo, we have him in the bathtub upstairs, submerged in water to hydrate him and speed up the healing process. So far, he hasn't shown any signs of waking up. Apart from the cracked shell, Donnie suspects his leg is broken, his ribs and arm are fractured, and he probably has even more damage we can't determine._

 _Mikey's been keeping himself busy helping out around the farm, feeding chickens Casey and I gathered and tending to a small garden, even in the cold. He's got a smile on his face all the time, but he's just trying to keep himself from breaking. Raph's planted himself next to Leo's side, waiting for him to wake up. He's also taken up supervising our training, though I wish Splinter were here so he wouldn't be shouldered with that burden. Casey's busied himself with fixing up an old truck in the barn left behind by my grandparents, though it's going slow. He's just trying to find something, anything to keep his mind occupied._

 _Me? I've just been doing my best to keep strong. That's what Splinter and my dad would want. I've been doing my best to keep everyone's spirits up, and it's been working on everyone except Donnie. He's still downtrodden, blaming himself for everything that occurred. But he shouldn't blame himself…he should be blaming the Kraang and Shredder. And, he should place blame on me, too, because I was the one who brought the fake Irma to the lair and started this. I just want to know…what happened right before he got to my apartment? If anyone we care about in the city is still alive, I hope they're all right. My dad, Casey's family, Karai, Mr. Murakami, Cheyloe, Anna, Kaitlyn…I hope they're safe._

 _And I hope Master Splinter survived._

April placed her pencil down and closed up the notebook she used as a journal, letting out a deep sigh from the swinging bench outside. Even with the cold outside, she kept warm enough to sit on it and enjoy the scenery outside. She pulled her arms tighter around her torso and tugged at her coat as her blue eyes darted towards the barn. Lunch was an hour ago and Donatello still didn't emerge from his makeshift lab. He claimed it was to keep working on the mutagen medicine, but the redhead honestly believed he wanted to avoid seeing Leo unconscious in the bathtub. It was hard for all of them to see him in that shape, but they had to see it whether they like it or not.

She heard a muffled explosion in the barn and jumped up from the bench, pulling her hood over her head, before bolting for the building. Brushing past a few chickens wondering around in the thin quilt of snow, she opened the barn doors and saw Donatello coughing and waving his hand in the air. Smoke billowed from a beaker on the table and he covered his mouth around it. Finally, he managed to clear the smoke before groaning in exasperation, taking the beaker and dumping it in a chemical-only waste bin.

"Well…that was a waste of mutagen." The genius turtle grumbled, wiping soot off his face.

"Donnie, is everything okay?" April called, walking in. "I heard an explosion!"

Donnie whipped his head around when he saw the redhead entering. He stayed silent for a long second, but resigned himself to cleaning soot off of his work desk. "Well, let's just say mutagen doesn't mix well with calcium and phosphate. As a result, a failed medicine in the garbage…"

"Don't be so downtrodden; you'll get it, Donnie." April encouraged. "If there's anyone that can, it's you."

"And that's a big if." The turtle retorted. "I don't have an x-ray machine, all my better chemicals are back in the lair, and neither of us have had any proper training to deal with the severity of his injuries. We don't even have the means to set up a catheter for him!" He sat down in his chair and placed his head in his hand. "Just, just go back inside and eat lunch, okay?"

April's expression dropped and she reached out to touch him, but hesitated. "Donnie…lunch was over an hour ago. I'm sorry we didn't come get you, but we didn't want to bother you."

Donnie's eyes widened at that bit of information, until he let out a long-held sigh and clutched his head in his hands. Fighting the urge to bang his head against the wooden desk until it was a bloody mess, he murmured, "All right…just, forget I brought it up…I'll be in for dinner."

The redhead opened her mouth in desire to argue over how long he'd been staying in the barn, but promptly closed it. He already had to deal with trying to keep his brother alive, and she didn't want to make it worse. Letting out a sigh, she quietly exited the barn and closed the door behind her, leaving Donnie alone with his festering guilt and a mess to clean up. If she'd stay just a minute longer, she would've seen the turtle resigning himself to laying his head down in his arms and trying to find solace in the cold of the barn.

* * *

"Please tell me dinner tonight won't be another frozen pizza…" Casey griped from his seat at the table.

"Hey, don't bad-mouth pizza!" Michelangelo barked, standing in front of the stove. "We don't have it EVERY night!"

Raphael crossed his arms and sat back in his chair with a scowl. "Then what ARE we having, knucklehead?"

Mikey plastered on that classic cheesy grin of his, grabbing a large pot off the stove and whipping out a ladle. "I'm glad you asked, Raph, my boy! Tonight's cuisine, courtesy of sous chef Michelangelo, is some nice, hot, Italian meatball soup! Great for those cold winter nights!" He started dipping soup out into the bowls set on the table while trying not to splash anyone with the broth. "Thanks for buying the ingredients, April."

April nodded and offered a smile before digging in to the soup. As she was about to shove the spoon in her mouth, though, she and the others took notice of the empty spot at the table. She wasn't the only one; everyone took notice that Donatello never came in to the house at all. Lunch they excused, since it wasn't rare for Donnie to skip at least one meal a day, but he skipped two meals in a row now. Unless he snuck some snacks under their noses, there was no way he could go through the night without food. They all knew how desperate he was to cure Leonardo's injuries and make amends with him, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Is he seriously still out there in the barn!?" The red-masked turtle groused. "That's it, I'm gonna go out there and drag his sorry shell in the house! He's gonna freeze ta death!"

"Raph, no!" April protested, holding her hand up. "If you try to force him out, he'll just resist!"

"What're we supposed ta do then, April? Let him turn into a turtle-sicle!?" Raph contested, getting up out of his seat. "I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna let Donnie go into hibernation 'cause he wants ta stay stuck in his own pity party!"

Before Raph could go and grab his coat, Mikey quickly shoved his coat and hat on and prepared a bowl of meatball soup. "Raph, wait!" When his brother paused, he continued, "If it makes you guys feel any better, I'll go bring him some soup and make sure he's okay."

"But…"

"He feels really guilty, bro." The orange-masked turtle sighed, putting on his ear-flap hat. "You and Casey weren't there…he and Leo had a really bad fight over what to do. Donnie said stuff he didn't mean, and Leo wasn't listening…D's afraid that's the last talk they're ever gonna have."

Raph opened his mouth to retaliate, only to promptly close it when he digested his baby brother's words. Mikey was right; he and Casey weren't at the lair when the invasion began, so he never heard the argument between Leo and Donnie. Apart from looking for Karai, he also had another talk with Casey about April and Donnie and they had to outrun Kraang Prime, of all things. He knew about that Turtle Mech thing, but figured that Leo would be on-board with the idea…until he overheard him talking with Splinter about setting up a second lair. Watching his brother leave for the barn, he decided to wait until later to ask for more details.

Mikey, meanwhile, stepped out of the house and into the snow, shivering and holding the hot bowl of soup to his plastron. Just as he suspected, the light in the barn remain lit, and the door slightly ajar. The orange-masked turtle ran briskly through the snow and to the building, careful not to lose even a drop of broth. When he opened the barn doors, expecting to find his brother either working or passed out over the desk…he instead found the work area empty.

"Donnie?" Mikey called, walking over to the desk and setting the bowl down. "D, you in here? Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

He wasn't around that old junk car, and he wasn't messing with any of the old tools…so where was he? Deciding to give up, Mikey skulked away from the desk and out of the barn, hoping his brother would eat the soup. However, as he stepped outside, an odd smell hit his nostrils. He smelled it before; a few times when he wandered around underneath the sewer grates, he smelled it before from some random people sitting on the sidewalk above, and it always stunk. When he walked around towards the back of the barn, the smell got stronger and made him want to cough. Once he reached the back…

"Donnie, what're you doing?"

Donatello paused the moment he heard Mikey's voice addressing him. Before he'd been found, he was out in the cold leaning against the wall of the barn, a heavy coat on and a melancholy expression. But he knew that wasn't what caught his brother's attention. What caught his attention was the lit cigarette gripped between his fingers. It was actually by accident that he came across the pack and lighter while exploring the farmhouse; probably left behind by April's grandparents and forgotten. There was also an old saying that stress made you do things you normally wouldn't do. Thus, to cope with the stress of everything, he lit one of those death sticks up.

"Mikey, go back inside before you catch a cold." Donnie replied nonchalantly before taking another drag.

"Dude, I should be telling you that!" Mikey shot back, glaring at the cigarette. "Where'd you even get that!? Don't you remember those commercials!? Like that lady with the wig, and the fake teeth, and the hole in her neck!?"

The purple-masked turtle narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Mikey, the mutagen in our blood accelerates our healing, remember? I'm pretty sure the bronchioles count in that, too. So I'm not worried about getting cancer anytime soon."

He still didn't like it, and he wouldn't let his brother destroy his body with those things. "Well, put it out and go eat! I brought you some soup! You need to eat, Donnie!"

"Thanks for the food, but I'm not hungry." Donnie retorted in monotone before shivering. "Once I'm done, I'm going back and working on the medicine. Maybe I'll come back in to go to bed…"

Mikey normally wasn't one to easily get frustrated when one of his brothers proved difficult; how else could he be able to put up with Raph's standoffish nature? But Donnie basically desiring to destroy himself after everything that happened…even he only had so much patience, and he hit his limit. It's what made him snatch the cigarette from his brother's lips and throw it to the ground in a flash. He saw Donnie open his mouth to complain, but he wouldn't let him get a word in…not right now.

"Donatello, when are you gonna get it through that thick head of yours that nobody blames you for the invasion!?" The freckled turtle spat, using his brother's full name for emphasis. "I don't blame you, Raph doesn't blame you, April and Casey don't blame you, and I'm sure Leo doesn't even blame you! The only person blaming you for it is YOU!"

Donnie snorted, his lips curling into a sneer. "You're one to talk, Mikey. What are you even doing to help Leo? Playing with chickens certainly doesn't help out, does it?"

"I'm doing what I can to help out around here and take the load off everyone else's shoulders!" Mikey argued, keeping his determination from faltering. "Trying to destroy yourself isn't gonna make Leo wake up! It's not gonna get Splinter outta that drain pipe! It's not gonna de-mutate the people of New York! Stop punishing yourself for something that's not your fault!"

"But it IS my fault, Mikey!" Donnie finally yelled, stomping his foot like a child throwing a tantrum. "It's all my fault Leo's in the state he's in! If I hadn't have questioned his decision, then he wouldn't be laying barely-alive in a BATHTUB, of all places!" He took a breath and ran his hand down his face while his teeth chattered. "I'm not going to stop until I have the medicine needed to put Leonardo back together so he can lead this team again and so I can make amends with him…understand, Mikey?"

Mikey didn't give a reply at first. Donnie thought he'd won the argument, but that reminded him of the feeling he got when he argued with Leo. How he didn't care if he hurt his brother, just as long as he won the verbal battle. A moment passed before the freckled turtle stared straight at him, sky blue meeting auburn.

"You think it was gonna be any different, D? You're not always right, but Leo isn't, either. Even though you went too far, you had every right to argue with 'im. But Donnie…some things you just can't control. Look, bro…I dunno what happened when you left to find Leo…but just remember that you can talk to me about anything. That's what bros do."

Donnie watched as Mikey shut his mouth and walked back to the farmhouse in a glum. A part of him really wanted to just chase after his brother and envelop him in a hug, but his need to wallow in his guilt and self-pity won over. The sound of his own stomach growling and clawing at his insides forced him to go back inside the barn…and maybe take a few bites of whatever soup his brother brought him. He would eat it…as long as it wasn't pizza soup.

* * *

"So, Red, has Donnie come out of the barn at all this week?"

April stopped midway of bringing an axe down on an unsuspecting piece of log to listen to Casey's question. It was true, and she hated to admit it; it was hard to find Donatello anywhere outside the barn other than the very few times he came to eat. From the way Mikey acted the other night, Donnie was in no mood to do anything other than focus on Leonardo. Yesterday, Casey attempted to talk Donnie into easing up and taking care of himself…that ended in the hockey player fleeing the barn and avoiding several tools flying at him.

Raph tried the day before to talk sense into his brother, too. They didn't know that she listened in on their conversation, despite warnings from Casey not to. Things started civil at first, but a commotion happened, and Raph came out spitting and rubbing his reddened cheek. Did Donnie actually punch his brother in the face? That was completely out-of-character for him…and it just made her worry grow. Something had to be done about it, and it looks like she would have to take the risk of talking to her best friend.

"No, he hasn't Casey." April admitted, placing the axe down and staring at the building in question. "I've heard that everyone's attempts at talking to him didn't go so well. That just leaves me, right?"

Casey narrowed his eyes and glared at the barn. "Don't let 'im bite yer head off, too. I swear, if he throws another wrench at my head, I'm gonna go in there and yank the stick out of his-"

"Casey, I'll be all right!" The redhead interrupted before the hockey player could express some colorful language. "I'm sure I can calm him down enough to see what's going on…maybe get him to relax a little."

The hockey player snorted, bending over the pick up the axe and finish what April started. He brought the tool down on the next log with a forceful swing before muttering, "…Good luck, Red."

April let out a sigh, tucking some hair behind her ear before making the short trek to the barn. Going up to the door, she heard quiet instead of any muttering or chemicals bubbling and fizzing. Was it possible that Donnie finally passed out from exhaustion? Part of her felt relief from that prospect, but she also knew that if that was indeed the case, she and the others would have to drag him in to the house to sleep. Considering the turtle's mood lately, he wouldn't take that well, but April felt confident things would be different with her.

What was the worst that could happen?

"…Donnie?" April called quietly, pushing the barn door open. "It's me, April."

April looked over at the desk, and saw Donatello slumped over the desk, gripping a few tools in his hands as he slept. He must've finally passed out; she'd leave him alone, but they had to talk. As she crept closer to the turtle, she could hear him mumbling in his sleep, and it wasn't mumbling from a good dream.

"No…no, Leo, c-come with us…" He whimpered. "J-Jump…you can make it…don't fall…"

"Donnie?"

The genius turtle snorted awake, shooting his head up to look at the redhead. "W-What, who…oh…hey, April." He set the tools aside and offered a loud yawn. "Is there…something you need?"

"Actually, I…" April paused when she got a whiff of an odd odor from Donnie's gear and mask, making her scowl. "…Do you smell that? Smells like cigarette smoke." She shook her head when she realized she was changing the subject. "N-Never mind that. Donnie…are you okay?"

Donnie gave a snort in reply, grabbing a few test tubes and placing them in a rack. "Well, why wouldn't I be? Just been busy working on that mutagenic medicine and lost track of time, that's all."

"I don't believe that for a second." April argued, her voice firm. "I've heard everyone trying to talk to you. You've yelled at Mikey, you threw tools at Casey's head, and you punched Raph in the face. This isn't the Donnie I know! I just want to make sure my best friend doesn't lose himself to all this!"

The purple-masked turtle waved her off. "They were pushing my buttons. You know how those three are; they think they have to continually poke an angry dog just to accomplish a goal. Especially Raph and Casey. I tell you, they're two peas in a pod."

"They were trying to get you to come out and actually live…which is what I'm doing right now!" The redhead retorted, growing exasperated so soon. "Everything that happened in New York was awful, definitely, but that doesn't mean you keep everything bottled up to the point of exploding! You have to get out how you feel about this!"

It was seconds later when April realized she said the wrong thing, indicated when Donatello let out a bitter chuckle. He set down the objects in his hands in order to turn to April and stand up, towering over her. In his eyes swirled many emotions, but anger lorded over all of them, followed by hurt.

"…You're one to talk about that, April." Donnie murmured in a low rumble. "I thought you said back in New York that talking just made things hurt more. Or did I hear wrong?"

Okay, he had a point there…she did say that. But she only meant for it to apply to whatever love confession Donnie had planned to say to her. She didn't mean for it to go so far as not talking about their losses. Talking with Master Splinter, she learned that Donnie wore his emotions on his sleeve, and when he bottled said emotions up, something was seriously wrong. The rat once told her the last time Donnie ever kept his emotions under lock and key with such severity was during childhood, back when his brothers teased him about having a Bo for a weapon. And now, he was doing it again, with her as the catalyst.

"Donnie, I didn't mean it like THAT!" April insisted. "I wasn't in the mood to hear you confess love or something like that! It wasn't the time or place!"

"…Except that wasn't what I was going to say at all! But you just assumed that I was going to tell you how I felt about you! See, that's the problem with you, April; you make assumptions about people, and when you find out their true qualities, it's too late! That and you have to be the most insensitive person in the world!" Donnie took a breath and spoke before April could argue further, "I was right there when you were all like, 'Oh Casey, I thought I'd lost you forever~'…right after I had to watch Cheyloe plummet to her DEATH!"

April's eyes widened and she took a step back. So that's why he was acting so bent out of shape…he not only lost his brother and dad, but a good friend, too. But she honestly felt offended when Donnie described her in such a way to make it seem like she hugged Casey on purpose. How was she supposed to know Cheyloe was gone; he never told anyone! "Oh, **I** make assumptions? You mean, you just assumed that I would know what happened, and you just assumed that I could possibly be head-over-heels for you? Or that some teenage crush took priority over an alien invasion?"

"Did you hear a word I said? I wasn't going to confess that to you! Well, maybe I was, in a way…y-you know what I mean!"

"No, I don't know what you mean! That's YOUR problem, Donnie! You don't let anyone know when something's wrong because you just assume we know or we don't care! What, do you think we're too stupid to understand!?"

"Don't put words in my mouth!" Donnie snarled, pointing his finger at April. "It's actually ironic you'd be so touchy about this, since you won't or don't know how to make up your freaking mind!"

April narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"One day, you act like you're interested in me, then the next day you act interested in Casey! Dropping us in the dirt only to pick us up again! Then the cycle repeats itself!" Donnie started to laugh and put his hand to his head. "I mean, you're like, the master of mixed messages or something! A total flip-flop! You know what? That's all you are, isn't it? A big, fat, FLIP-FLOP!"

The redhead gasped before gritting her teeth, walking forward, and slapping Donnie hard on the cheek. He winced, cupping said cheek, glaring at April and seeing her glare daggers back at him. He wanted to retaliate in some fashion; say some things that would cut her to the core…but his heart wasn't in it. He didn't have the energy to argue any further or bring more dirt out…he was tired, physically and mentally.

"Donatello…one thing I don't appreciate is you making me out to be the biggest tease in the world." The redhead began, speaking in a dangerous tone. "I also don't appreciate my best friend raising his voice to me, just because he wants to lash out. You want to wallow around in self-pity and throw a tantrum? Fine…just leave the rest of us out of it. Let me know when you want to have a civil conversation with me or your family."

Donatello watched April walk out of the barn, and he still seethed from the conversation. Why did she have to act like she was above everyone in this? What right did she have to lecture him about civil conversations? What right did ANY of them have to lecture him about talking? But he was too tired to throw anything against the wall in frustration…everything left him drained. Right now…he wanted to be left alone.

"Leo…Cheyloe…Splinter…what am I supposed to do?"

* * *

Despite the pain in her leg and the feeling of being starved of oxygen, Cheyloe pressed forward through the winding tunnels of the sewers. It had been days since she last ate something, and nothing could convince her to drink sewer water. If she could just figure out which tunnel led to Lunar Palace Apartments, then she could sneak through, get to her place, and hide there until she recovered and could find the turtles. It became apparent that breaks and fractures weren't the only things to be worried about. She also had cuts on her body…cuts that were surely infected and causing a fever.

"…I'm starving…" She murmured through shivers. "…I-I'm thirsty. If I don't get out of here soon…I-I won't last long."

The brunette stopped to lean against the grimy sewer wall and catch her breath. She wheezed, trying to clear her head and fight through the pain. In this state, she wouldn't stand a chance against those Kraang. Funny…her blood boiled just thinking of them, and she only encountered them some days ago. Maybe it was because they separated her from Donatello during their trek to April's. Speaking of Donnie…how was he? Was he still alive? She hoped so…and she hoped he and his family got out of the city before it was too late. She wished they could've looked for her, but even she knew there was no time.

Cheyloe suddenly froze…not from the cold, but from an odd hiss coming from the deeper part of the tunnel. "W-Who's there?"

The hissing got louder, and sounded much more sinister as she stepped closer. Great, were those stories about alligators in the NYC sewers actually true? What a great way to go out; being eaten by an alligator after an alien invasion. If only she had her gun with her, then she'd be okay. But as she stepped towards the opening to another tunnel, a strong force sent her flying back, making her land in the frigid water with a cry of pain.

That force ended up belonging to a long, scaly tail coated with metal armor.

"W-What the…"

Out of the opposite tunnel, a large, serpentine creature slithered in front of Cheyloe. This wasn't anything like the giant snakes seen on nature shows, however. This snake, aside from the armor on its body, had two smaller snakes substituting arms, and green eyes that pierced through the darkness. The shade of green reminded the brunette of that stuff Donnie talked about…mutagen. Typical…she had to run into a feral mutant. The moment she looked into the eyes of this mutant, though, she started second-guessing that assumption. What was so familiar about this creature? Then it hit her.

"…Karai?"

The snake mutant recoiled at the mention of the name, but soon went back to a feral state and prepared to lunge. Her forked tongue whipped around from her snout before an ear-piercing shriek erupted to echo her hunger. As Karai began to dive down and take a bite out of her, Cheyloe held her hands up and shouted, "K-Karai, it's me, Cheyloe!"

Karai once again recoiled, but this time stood still and studied the brunette's face. Cheyloe…that name brought back memories. Memories of the rooftops, the noodle shop, the lair, and how much the young woman in question wanted to reach out to her. Now she did it again, causing the snake to shrink and lower her gaze. After a moment of silence, the kunoichi-turned-mutant slithered towards the brunette and rested her head on her shoulder.

"Cheyloe…" The snake choked out. "You…sssssurvived…"

"Yeah, I survived all this…but not unscathed." Cheyloe chuckled, straining her ribs and making her shudder. "Karai…have you seen the turtles? Or anyone else?"

The snake shook her head, her eyes now filled with overwhelming grief. "Turtlessss…gone. And…Ssssssplinter…barely alive. Kraang and Shredder…chas-s-s-s-ed them away…"

Chey's heart raced from hearing the dire news. The turtles were alive, good, but what about Casey and April? Their families? Splinter…she had to get to him. Even with her injuries, she had to treat him and get him well. If the turtles lost their father…she didn't want to think about it. Enough people around her had to die, and she didn't want anyone else to know the feeling.

"Karai…please, take me to Master Splinter. I don't have all the resources, but I'll help him the best I can."

The snake's eyes widened before she backed away from Cheyloe, obviously feeling frightened. "Have to get…passsst Kraang…and you're…hurt. Are you…willing…to rissssk that?"

"We have to! I'll heal in time…Splinter takes priority." The brunette argued, wrapping an arm around her torso. "Then after he's better, we can go out and find the turtles…maybe even take back New York. Please, Karai…"

After some debate, and trying to keep whatever control she had left in-check, Karai suddenly collapsed and writhed on the ground. Before Cheyloe could try and intervene, the serpent slowly regained her human appearance. However, her skin now presented a scaly texture and became white as snow, and her eyes remained serpentine. The kunoichi got up from the ground, stumbling, before collapsing in the brunette's arms.

"We find food…then go." Karai declared, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

"…Everything will be okay, Karai." Cheyloe soothed, hugging the kunoichi. "Everything will be all right…it has to be."

* * *

"…Are you serious? Their fight was that bad?"

Michelangelo solemnly nodded his head, sitting down at the table like he was under police interrogation. In some ways, that assumption was correct. He'd been outside putting fresh hay in the chicken coop when he heard shouting erupting from the barn. At first, he believed it to be Donnie and Raph having another shouting match, but when he crept closer to the barn wall, he realized the other voice belonged to April. Whatever they were fighting about, it was worse than the time they fought over Donnie's disappearance. The freckled turtle was about to walk away and let them talk things out when he heard the slap.

If there was one thing Mikey knew about his brother, it was that he would never lay a hand on a girl outside of combat or training. Heck, he didn't even like having to land a blow on April whenever they trained together; not because he thought she was weak, but because they were all brought up to give respect to females. So it was easy to figure out that April was the one doing the slapping. Donnie probably said things he didn't mean, but he didn't deserve to be slapped over it. When he saw the redhead stomping out of the barn, she caught sight of the orange-masked turtle and the look he gave her.

"Yeah…it go so bad, she slapped him." Mikey admitted, wiping at his eyes. "But I heard why Donnie's been mad. He…he saw Cheyloe die during the invasion."

Raphael and Casey glanced at each other in concern before the former addressed Mikey again. "…That explains a lot. Her, then Leo, then Sensei. All of it just got to be too much, and he's been taking it out on us."

"April got the brunt of it, though." Casey pointed out, narrowing his eyes. "Who does he think he is? She didn't do anything wrong!"

"Well, she DID bring that Kraang to the lair." Mikey blurted, but quickly corrected himself, "B-But she didn't know her friend was a Kraang! And, and Donnie's been blaming himself for the whole thing, too! He always has nightmares about the invasion, ever since we got here-"

"Whoa, wait!" Raph stopped him. "He's been havin' nightmares? Why didn't he tell us? I mean, he's not gonna get help if he doesn't ask!"

Casey offered a small shrug, still miffed that the turtle in question yelled at the redhead. "I dunno, maybe he didn't wanna bother us or somethin'. We've already got Leo laying in the tub and not knowin' if he's gonna wake up…"

The three of them fell silent over that harsh fact: they weren't for sure if Leo would ever awaken. Mikey remembered the fight between their leader and Donnie, then April bringing the fake Irma, Donnie getting cut off by April, Leo coming through the window, and Splinter flushed down the drain. The only reason he kept going was because someone had to, but everyone else was in a funk, especially Donatello. Now it was possible the friendship between his brother and April would be shattered forever. Well, he wasn't going to let that happen.

"Guys, we gotta get them talking." The freckled turtle declared. "We gotta get them back on good terms now!"

"No, Mikey. We can't do that." The temperamental turtle halted him. "This is somethin' they have ta work out on their own. Let them cool off and sort out their feelings. We'll only intervene in case somethin' happens, okay?" He suddenly turned and went in the direction of the bathroom. "I gotta get back ta Leo…call me when dinner's ready. And Mikey…don't force yerself ta be happy when yer not, all right?"

Michelangelo wiped at his eyes again, wearing a faltering smile. "…All right, Raph."

* * *

"…Mr. Splinter."

Karai huddled herself in a corner of the area, not wanting to risk going feral on her father, as Cheyloe slowly knelt down and looked over the unconscious Master Splinter. The rat hadn't awoken after several days, but judging from what Karai could grind out, he was still breathing. His robe was in tatters, therefore his body temperature had to be dropping. That was confirmed when the brunette placed her hand to his damp forehead. If they didn't get him to a warm place soon, he would surely develop hypothermia and perish. There was one place they could go…the apartment. Question was, how do they get past the Kraang and the Foot?

"…We're going to need a plan to get to my place. We need to stabilize his temperature." Chey concluded, pulling her hand away and checking Splinter's arm. "Then we'll have enough food to eat, and the Kraang couldn't possibly look for us there."

The kunoichi shook her head. "Can't…go with you. I'm…fighting…to…not…hurt my father." She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a frustrated hiss. "My mind…isssss…going…"

Cheyloe stared at Karai with worry over that last part of the statement. Would Karai end up like when April's dad was mutated? Would she just become a mindless beast in the end? No…it was her job to help her and help Splinter. No matter the risks, she would help them and get everything back to the way it was.

"…That's not going to happen, Karai. You're strong, and Splinter's strong. The both of you'll be okay." She clutched her leg and strained her voice when her chest burned again. "…I just wish Donnie was here to help."


	23. Resolutions

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I just want to let you know that I may not be updating as frequently. The reason is I have a new job and I'll be working and feeling pretty tired. But I will still update, and I'll get started on some drabbles to tie-in with this story! Just send in any requests you have for certain scenes and I'll do my best. Now then, I hope the fight from last chapter didn't make Donnie or April OOC. I just figured they needed one intense fight. Rest assured, their fight will be resolved! Now, read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 23: Resolutions

Two weeks.

That was the time period since Donatello and April's blow-up, and since they spoke to each other. The two of them couldn't even be in the same room with each other without the atmosphere turning frigid. Whenever mealtimes came, Michelangelo brought his brother's food to the barn so another fight wouldn't break out in the kitchen. He was sick of doing this, though; why wouldn't they make up already? Raphael and Casey went on as if nothing happened, but he could tell they were seething over Donnie and April acting like two toddlers throwing a tantrum.

Mikey didn't know who he had more anger towards. He was mad at Donnie for blowing up at everyone and calling April a flip-flop, but he also had anger towards April for slapping his brother in the face. Nevertheless, he decided to give them both the silent treatment. Granted, it wasn't mature, but he didn't want their drama anymore. All he wanted right now was to wake Leo up and go home. No more fighting, no more grieving, no more stupid love triangles, and no one hitting each other outside of training. Why couldn't Donnie understand that? Why couldn't ANY of them understand that?

"Hey Mikey, want me to help with dinner?" April suddenly entered the room and greeted the turtle. When she got no answer, she crept up closer and asked, "Mikey, did you hear me?"

Silence.

"Mikey, are you even listening?"

The freckled turtle scowled before turning to April and asking, "What, are you gonna slap me if I don't?"

The redhead blinked at that accusation, but it was obvious the day she stormed out of the barn that someone eavesdropped…and that someone was Mikey. Everyone, her included, wanted to protect whatever innocence he had left after the invasion, and then that argument happened. Did he really think she would hit him for such a petty reason? Part of her wanted to admit that applied to Donnie, but her stubborn pride wouldn't let her admit her wrongs. Besides, Donnie was the one who started it, so why should she give him any apologies?

"Mikey, I'm sorry you heard all that…but that was two weeks ago." April spoke in a defensive tone. "Donnie and I said stuff that we didn't mean-"

"Then why won't you guys make up already?" The orange-masked turtle demanded, slamming the wooden spoon in his hand on the counter. "You say you both said bad things, but you still act like it's all Donnie's fault! It's okay to be wrong about things, April! We're supposed to be a team and you two going at it isn't helping!"

The redhead let out a scoff. "He started it, Mikey! Yeah, I know, what happened to everyone was horrible, but he has no right to take it out on any of us! He never even told us what happened to Cheyloe, or how bad the fight between him and Leo was! If he doesn't tell us, how're we supposed to help him?"

"You can't expect him to come clean about it, April! That's why you ASK. Sometimes you have to be the one to take the first step and ask him what's wrong! Sure, it doesn't always work, but you don't know until you try!"

"That still doesn't give him the right to say that I lead him on! Or that I'm insensitive!" April rubbed her eyes in frustration over having to argue with Mikey, of all people. "He acts like he's the only one who lost someone! What about my dad!? What about Casey's dad and sister!? What about Splinter!? Don't they matter!?"

 _Duh, of course they matter._ "April, just please…make up with Donnie. You know as well as I do that he's falling apart, and that fight just made it worse. It's made him feel like it's the argument between him and Leo all over again. April, we've been able to keep our heads up, but only for so long. And if one of us breaks…"

He had a point, the redhead admitted that. All of them except the genius turtle kept their heads up, almost to the point of acting like an invasion never happened. It wasn't good to pretend that everything was fine, but that's how they coped. Donnie, on the other hand, coped by obviously sneaking cigarettes, going without sleeping or eating, and lashing out at anyone who tried to utter a syllable to him. But did his guilt excuse his behavior? Absolutely not. So if anyone had to do any apologizing, it was Donatello.

"Sorry Mikey…but I'm not apologizing." April concluded. "Donnie's the one who decided to snap, so he has to be the one to take the first step. I know he's your brother and you're worried about all of us, but-"

"Yeah, well, friends don't slap another friend's brother in the face!" Mikey cut in, venom in his voice that wasn't supposed to be there. He turned off the burner on the stove and added, "I get it, Donnie's gotta get his act together, but so do you! It sucks when you care more about being right than doing the sensible thing and working things out!" He paused to give the redhead one last look in her eyes. "Donnie's your best friend…you're seriously gonna let a stupid fight destroy that?"

April pursed her lips together, the words of the freckled turtle leaving a sour taste in her mouth, before she turned on her heels and bolted out of the kitchen. First Donnie, and now Mikey turned against her. Actually, she knew he spoke a harsh truth she needed to hear, and pointing out that old self-righteousness creeping back in. Even so, she wanted to go somewhere and pout over being told she was just as guilty as Donnie in the fight. Or go cry to Raph and Casey over what the youngest turtle spat. She could give in and throw a tantrum over being called out, stomping her feet all the way.

What good would that do?

From a young age, April had trouble telling people what she wanted. She could understand crushes; she had many as far back as fifth grade, but could never muster up the courage to tell the object of her affection how she felt. When guys started having crushes on HER, she didn't know what to do. Donnie and Casey weren't the first guys to develop crushes on her, she thought. In middle school, some boy on the basketball team acted like a love-sick puppy whenever they had gym or math together. She wanted to tell him that he wasn't her type and she wasn't ready for a boyfriend until she was older…but what she thought contrasted with how she acted. Instead of saying 'not interested', she went on to give him a lot of maybes because she didn't know the right response and didn't want to hurt any feelings. In the end, the boy got fed up with her giving vague answers and went on to find affection with one of the popular girls in her grade.

April stopped recalling the past when she found herself at the barn doors. Like last time, she could hear the clanging and clinking of tools and glassware coming from inside. While the redhead wanted to forget about doing this, there was no turning back now. Either keep acting like two kindergarteners throwing a tantrum or bury the hatchet once and for all. So she drew in a deep breath and pushed the barn doors open, forcing her expression to be stone-cold until things went well.

"…Donatello, we need to talk."

The genius turtle paused his work, turning his head in her direction. "What's there to talk about? Or did you come looking for another fight?"

"I'm not going to play this game, Donnie." She spoke guardedly. "I'm not going to be goaded into another spat. We need to get our differences resolved right now. So talk and make it easier on both of us."

Donnie glared hard at her for a long minute, until he finally offered a scoff of discontent and went back to the chemicals on the desk. "You may as well talk to a brick wall, April. All I was doing was telling the truth and you didn't like it, so you decided to smack me in the face in retaliation. So who goaded who into a fight? Who decided to act like a little kid?"

"Donnie, this little angst phase is getting old fast." The redhead sneered, crossing her arms. "Throwing a pity party isn't going to change what's happened, and it's certainly not going to get us to a revolution. Do us all a favor and cut the crap!"

"That's actually funny, April. You tell me to stop with the nonsense, but are you going to stop playing the little mixed messages game? Or act coy with Casey, who clearly only has interest in chasing tail, while leaving me in the cold? Better yet, maybe you should think twice before bringing a so-called best friend to the lair!" Donnie stopped to let out a bitter chuckle. "You never know if they might be a killer Kraang!"

April's eyes widened at that accusation. "So you're saying the invasion is MY fault!? I didn't know Irma was a Kraang; you shouldn't use that against me! I did the only thing I knew to do!"

"You could've brought that thing somewhere else!" Donnie retaliated. "Why did it have to be the lair!?"

"Well, I wasn't the one who decided to pick a fight with Leo before he got attacked!"

Donatello expression dropped, and April immediately knew she crossed the line. The turtle stared into space, trying to absorb the full-impact of that accusing fact. April didn't know that girl was a Kraang spy, he was the one who fought with Leo, he was the one who watched his friend fall, and he was the one who had to be shouldered with the burden of fixing everything. All of this was because of him, and carrying that in his mind caused him to become an angry, bitter being. He still didn't like being reminded of that truth, though, and his face tightened in anger.

"You know April, you should count yourself lucky." Donnie began, gritting his teeth. "Once we get the Kraang out of New York, you'll get to have your dad and your 'normal' life back. You'll get to hang with Casey, go to school, and eat out, the whole shebang. Meanwhile, my brothers and I will be without a home or Sensei, and we'll be the ones left still picking up the pieces…and every day, I'll know it's because of ME. I mean, I already know I fought with Leo, blinded by my stupid pride." A chuckle began flooding out of his mouth, and he waved the tool in his hand for emphasis. "Oh, and that I should've done something more to keep Cheyloe from falling into the sewers…and that I should've been with Leo when the Foot viciously attacked him…and I should've pulled your dad out of the way of that mutagen…and should've helped Splinter…"

Donatello kept on chuckling, now with tears flooding out of his eyes, until his fake humor devolved into quivering lips and pitiful sobs. The tool in his hand slid out and impacted the floor, but he didn't take notice. Everything he kept bottled up for over two weeks-his grief and depression-finally brought him to the breaking point, and the angry, angsty mutant found himself reduced to a shattered mess. "I know it's my fault…j-just stop reminding me it is!"

"…What?" April asked, flabbergasted. "What do you mean, Donnie?"

"…I've seen h-how the others l-look at me since Leo got hurt. R-Raph glares at me from a distance, a-and I know he's blaming me. C-Casey treats me like I'm scum on the bottom of his shoe…and…a-and Mikey d-doesn't even speak to m-me!" He wiped at his eyes, but the tears just came in waterfalls. "A-And now, you…"

Donnie got so caught up in sobbing and sniffling in his hands that he didn't notice April coming forward and enveloping him in a tight hug. He didn't waste time acting surprised; he just leaned into her and wailed into her shoulder. And here he thought he could only do this with Cheyloe…but April was his friend too, and he regretted not giving her more of his time over the past several months.

"Donnie, I'm sorry…" April apologized, rubbing his upper shell. "If I'd known…I wouldn't have hugged Casey in front of you, and I certainly wouldn't have yelled at you and hit you… Everything that happened, I've basically been trying to ignore it…and I ignored how much of the pain you shouldered…"

The genius turtle shook his head, wiping his tears into the redhead's jersey. "No…no, April…I'M sorry. W-When you hugged Casey…a-after I lost Chey…I just felt like y-you were rubbing it in. A-And I was just so mad…I-I just wanted to lash out…and chose you as my target. I-I just…don't want mine and Leo's last talk to be…about how I called him a bad leader…"

That just made April hug Donnie even tighter, fearing that letting him go would be dire. "Donnie, none of this is your fault. Bad things happen…but don't blame yourself over something none of us had any control over. Leo WILL wake up, and we will have the strength to take back our home…and you'll always have a home with me."

"…That's what I've been trying to tell him."

The genius turtle and redhead turned to the barn doors to see Mikey, Raph, and Casey standing and watching. Donnie tensed up at the sight of them; what did they have to say? Would they end up confirming his fears? Mikey noticed his brother's body language and felt awful, which prompted him to rush over and join April in hugging him. A moment later, despite a few grunts, Raph and Casey joined and made an official group hug, sans Leo.

"D, I wasn't givin' you the silent treatment because I blamed you…I was doing it over you and April's fight." Mikey admitted. "I never blamed you for what happened, and I never will. I'm sorry I stopped talking to you."

Raph cleared his throat. "Donnie…uh…I-I just wanna say that I'm sorry I haven't been payin' attention to ya havin' a downward spiral. I've been so caught up in just holdin' a vigil over Leo that I've been pushin' everyone else away…especially you. Now come on, stop cryin'…"

"Yeah…stop cryin' or yer gonna make us all start, too." Casey added, wiping his nose and averting his reddened eyes. "C'mon Donnie, ya think we'd blame ya fer what happened? It's all Shredder and th' Kraang's fault, man! Stop takin' the blame fer everything. Ya think Leo would want ya ta do that?"

At the utterance of his eldest brother's name, combined with the reassurance that he was not blamed by any of them, Donnie cried even harder. He sobbed, sniffled, and hiccupped in the embrace of his brothers and friends, the others following suit in getting their bottled-up unhappiness out. They spent the next few moments as a pile of sobs and sniffles, refusing to let go of each other. Crying wouldn't solve their dilemma, but it would help them cope for right now. Cope with the Kraang snatching their precious New York away, with Splinter possibly dead because of a jealous man, with many of their friends presumed dead or mutated, and Leo unable to even utter a word.

Fate just seemed to hate them.

* * *

"Karai…Karai, please wait up!"

Cheyloe panted, despite her brisk walk being nothing more than a limp, trying to catch up to the mutant snake. Why did she have to lead her back here, of all places? Well, maybe it was time to resume the search after enough rest. Said search involved finding exactly where Master Splinter went to, with the goal to avoid any Kraang or those robotic creatures that made cat noises; whatever those giant maws were for, she didn't want to know. A few days after finding Master Splinter and patching him up, the brunette went back after scouting to check on him…only to find him gone. To say she panicked put it lightly, because she couldn't tell if someone forcibly moved him or if he woke up and got up on his own.

For the past couple of weeks, she snuck and gathered food and water while searching for the rat and looking after Karai. The only thing she could do concerning Karai, however, was watch helplessly as the kunoichi's humanity slipped out of her fingers like sand. If the turtles were here, they could just spray Karai with that retromutagen stuff, right? Well, they'd have to get past the thousands upon thousands of Kraang and their machines. That's what she had to do now, after Karai bolted off after something down the tunnel.

"Karai, this isn't funny…my leg and ribs are still hurt!" She huffed out, gritting her teeth. "We have to go and find you dad!" She stopped when she heard an aggravated hiss coming from the tunnel in her direction. "Karai…what's wrong? Karai!?"

The hissing got louder and much more animalistic, prompting Cheyloe to limp towards the pitch-black tunnel and investigate. She feared that the kunoichi found Splinter and was a split-second from giving into her predatory instincts. Chey hated the thought of doing it, but if it came down to it, she would do her best to fight the snake off, even with her injuries. It made her wish she had some tranquilizers on her person, and her gun…

Cheyloe opened her mouth to speak again, but closed it the moment she heard laser shots. Great…first Splinter goes missing, then Karai goes AWOL, and now THEY were here. Judging from the sound of it, those things decided to pick a fight with Karai. Against a few, she would probably do okay…but not against multitudes. Scared out of her mind, the brunette hobbled down the tunnel and looked in time to see several Kraang engaging in a beat-down with the snake. Karai seemed to fare well on her own, tearing apart and spitting acid at the droids.

"…She's got this covered." Chey murmured. "I'd just get in the way…"

That would be spoken too soon, as one Kraang Droid snuck up behind the kunoichi and prepared a fatal shot. The angle had it aimed directly at the back of her head, and that would… The brunette caught onto this quickly and shouted, "Karai, LOOK OUT!"

The snake moved in time for the shot to end up grazing her tail, causing her to let out a loud shriek. Instead of going on a bigger rampage, that shot persuaded Karai to flee into the water. Cheyloe's face dropped, and now she stood alone with still many Kraang left. Now, those aliens had their robotic, soulless eyes trained on her. She heard how awful these aliens were from Donnie, but now seeing those eyes and finding nothing in them spoke greater volumes than spoken words.

"Kraang has found a human loose in that which is known as the sewer." One alien spoke through its vocal processor.

"Agreed, Kraang. We must take the loose human and bring it to undergo mutation and join the other mutated humans." Another added.

Cheyloe backed away, terror in her eyes and her ragged breaths hurting her ribs. "N-No…no, I won't let you!" She shouted, her voice frantic and hoarse. "Stay away from me!"

As the droids got closer and readied their blasters, the brunette gritted her teeth and stared hard at them, anger replacing fright. All she could think about was how, because of them, Donnie and his brothers weren't here, and so many people were gone. She wasn't going to lose anyone else…and with a shout of determination, she turned her head to a Kraang and watched it burst into flames. The alien shrieked and bolted out of its robotic shell, prompting the others to start shooting at the young woman. But the fire just kept coming in all directions, and Cheyloe didn't break her concentration once. She had to stay focused, or she would definitely die. Before she could finish the last one, it managed to get a shot at her stomach, making her collapse to the ground in a heap.

"…N-No…" She wheezed, her eyes half-closed as the Kraang Droid approached. When she felt of her stomach and noticed blood seeping into the fabric of her shirt, she cringed and fumbled to stop the blood oozing out. "…I can't die yet…"

As the alien prepared to finish her off with one final blast, something happened. A large black object flew at the droid and crushed it against the wall. The result was a heap of metal and splattered Kraang remains oozing off the wall. Cheyloe tried to open her eyes to figure out what the object was, but her body started to give out. As her eyes slowly closed, she could see clawed feet approaching the black object before turning and facing in her direction…

* * *

The old television set flashed the nighttime news inside the darkened living room, giving off a faint light that reached the sofa. In the middle of nowhere, there wasn't much news, though it did feature things from the neighboring towns and the city. A few things flashed about the mysterious loss of communication with New York, but primarily featured things about missing locals and wrecks. The others already retired for the evening, leaving Donatello staring at the television in boredom. He could just turn it off and go to bed like everyone else, but he was always the night owl. Thus, another late night.

"You can't sleep either, huh?"

The purple-masked turtle turned to see April, hair down and in yellow and green pajamas, holding two mugs. Instinct told him to take one of the mugs and allow the redhead to sit down next to him. He took a sip of the liquid-hot chocolate-and kept his eyes on the news program. "You know me, I'm a night owl…or, rather, night turtle. What about you?"

April traced her finger around the rim of her cup and shrugged, glancing at him. "Well, I went to check on Leo, and after that, I just couldn't get back to sleep. I noticed you weren't in bed, and figured you'd either be in here or the barn."

Donnie gave a hum of acknowledgement and turned his head to face the girl. "I figured I should take a break from the barn…at least for a few days. The medicine will still be finished, but it wouldn't be fair to rush Leo's recovery." He paused and looked down into his mug. "I also need to spend some more time around the rest of my family, after I've harshly ignored them."

"…You've just been stressed and guilt-ridden, Donnie…I don't blame you for working yourself that hard. I'm just glad you're coming to terms with it." She locked eyes with the turtle, despite her fatigue and desire to sleep. "Ever since we got up here, we've isolated ourselves in our own little worlds that we've tried to ignore each other's suffering. But the reality is, we needed each other more than we knew."

A fleeting smile crept onto Donnie's lips. "Sounds like something Leo or Cheyloe would say."

They halted their conversation to see a late-night infomercial for one of those ceramic skillets with the claims of a scratch-free surface. Those kinds of commercials often made the turtle chuckle; it wasn't the product itself so much as the ridiculous ways they were presented. He pictured Mikey begging to order said product, no matter how defective it would turn out to be, just for the thrill of buying it. It made him smile, something he rarely did these days.

"Donnie…what was it you wanted to tell me during the invasion?"

The genius turtle glanced up from his hot chocolate, registering April's question, before sighing and staring at the sweet liquid. "Well…I honestly debated on what to tell you at that moment. A part of me wanted to tell you how I felt about you, but I knew that was out of place. But…I wanted to tell you, after I witnessed that Kraang walker blast the rooftop and send Cheyloe falling…that I didn't want the same thing to happen to you. That I wanted to work hard and make sure you didn't suffer the same fate she did."

"Donnie…I'm sorry that happened." The redhead apologized in a hushed voice, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I wish none of the invasion happened. I mean, if I hadn't brought Irma to the lair and started all this…"

"April, stop." The genius turtle interjected, holding a hand up. When he saw her mouth close in uncertainty, he went on, "I'm tired of blame going around. Not just with blaming myself for what happened…I don't want any of you blaming yourselves, either. The only blaming we should be doing is blaming Shredder and the Kraang for the invasion. They're the ones who caused everything…"

The redhead quietly exhaled. "I know. It's just, well, everyone was already on-edge because of Karai's mutation, and I didn't make things better by breaking the number-one rule of the lair…don't bring a human. We were just running from the Foot Bots and I panicked; the lair just popped into my head. And then…you know the rest."

"…In all honesty, it was only a matter of time before the lair got discovered." Donnie admitted in a whisper. "It just happened to be then. But I don't plan on giving up without a fight…none of us should give up. I plan on getting my brother well, returning to the city, and avenging everyone we lost. If we don't…New York will be gone forever. I'm not going to sit by and allow our home to be one big alien infestation."

April could admit she never saw Donatello this determined, even when he worked on the retromutagen. Truthfully, she got to the point of resigning to the Kraang taking over New York, and spending the rest of their lives as runaways. But Donnie refused to settle for that; he wanted to make sure what happened to Splinter and everyone else wasn't in vain. Yes, they had to recover, but they would with the right amount of time…then they would go back home and drive the Kraang and the Foot out once and for all.

"…Yeah." She finally replied, giving a nod. "We'll do it…for Splinter, my dad, Cheyloe, and everyone else. The Kraang may have one the battle, but they won't win the war. We fight back…and we do it together."

Donnie offered up another smile, both for April's support and her own determination. "…Thank you, April. Starting now…we work hard to achieve that goal."

With that declaration, the two tapped their mugs together to solidify the deal.


	24. Brothers

**Author's Note: Miss me yet? Well, I finally have this updated! I've just been so tired lately from work and trying to figure out what to write on this! This takes place a little before, during, and after "Within the Woods", and we're going to have quite a bit of interaction between Donnie and Leo. I wish we had more moments between them in the show, but I really shouldn't complain because of how great it's turned out to be so far. I also think Donnie should've been given more credit for his work instead of Raph. No offense, but all Raph did was just sit there and stare at Leo. Now I will warn you, this chapter has a touchy subject during the latter part, just giving a head's up. Anyway, I will say the next chapter will have a redo of "A Foot Too Big", because the ending kind of threw me off and I thought it could be a little more consistent. All right, read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 24: Brothers

"…Any improvements, Donnie?"

Donatello exhaled and pulled the stethoscope away from Leonardo's plastron. "Heart rate's normal…but there's still no telling when he'll wake up." He pinched between his brows and added, "I wish I knew more on comas to help him…"

"Donnie, it's been _three months_ already!" Raphael grunted, straightening himself up on the stool in the bathroom. "We should've figured out something a long time ago! At this rate, Leo'll never wake up and we'll never go home!" Gritting his teeth for a moment, his angry expression came to a calm and he buried his face in his hands. "…Why can't we do more for him?"

The genius turtle empathized with his brother's feeling of helplessness. Even though he expected Leo to be unconscious for a while, he didn't expect a while to turn into three agonizing months. Three months spent in unknown territory, watching winter turn to spring in the Northampton forests, wondering if New York would still be there if they returned. A somber Christmas, a quiet New Year, and just recently a tense Valentine's Day. By tense, that meant Casey acting like a Casanova with April while Donnie stood no less than five feet from them. Now heading into the month of April, would they end up spending Easter here, too? What if it went all the way to summer and they were still isolated in the middle of nowhere?

"I've thought about that, Raph…" Donnie began. "Besides being in a coma, it's almost like…like his body's gone into hibernation. In a way, that's good, since he's not malnourished. The question is, though, how do we bring him out of it?"

The red-masked turtle sighed, lowering his gaze back to their brother's prone body in the bath water. "…I dunno, Donnie. I've talked and talked 'till I'm blue in th' face, hopin' he'll respond…but he just lays there. You…" He turned his gaze to his genius brother. "You're better with th' biology an' whatnot…I can't help ya in that field. Sorry…"

"It's all right, Raph…we're all doing the best we can with the limited resources." Donnie assured, giving his brother a sad smile. "Hey, why don't you take a break? I'll watch Leo for a little bit so you can eat lunch."

Raph narrowed his eyes, his lips curling into a frown, before he breathed out of his nose and hoisted himself from the stool. Even so, he gave a curt nod to his brother; the closest he would give to a thanks for now. Donnie wouldn't complain about it, considering the ritual of his hotheaded brother watching over Leo day and night. With Raph out of the bathroom, he now took the mantle of sitting next to the bathtub…something he tried to avoid doing all-together. After all, it was a cruel reminder of the Kraang invasion and Shredder's rampage.

"…Hey, Leo…sorry I haven't been up to visit much besides checkups." The genius turtle whispered. "I've just been a little busy lately…you know, making you some medicine so you'll get better. But I've been keeping up with training, so you don't have to worry. Speaking of checkups…you've gotten another good one. Heart rate, blood pressure…all of them check out fine."

The smile Donnie forced onto his face melted away as he placed his hand on his brother's head. He didn't care how cool to the touch it was as he continued, "Leo…please wake up. I really don't know if you can hear me, but I just want to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry about that argument, and I'm sorry I couldn't reach you in time to save you." A bitter chuckle came out of his mouth at that. "Sorry just doesn't seem to do enough, huh? It certainly can't wake you up, can it? I wish it did…but no need to stay stuck in the past. Leo…I love you, bro…and I wish I could do more for you."

Taking his hand away, the purple-masked turtle leaned forward on the stool and glued his eyes to Leonardo. All he could do now was sit and observe until Raphael came back to take over. He was completely unaware that his actions were observed by a certain redhead and hockey player from down the hall.

After about an hour of watching over his brother, Donnie left once Raph came back from eating lunch. The latter gave the former a mutter of thanks when the two crossed paths on the stairs, which was good enough for Donnie. It was time for him to eat some lunch anyway, and Mikey begged him and the others to come watch some show he found on TV; Crognard the Barbarian or something. He remembered that they never did get to see the finale of SRMFF no thanks to his baby brother; he really wanted to see whether or not Dash Coolstar survived and if Commander Blaze would return. Maybe this show wouldn't be bad…it couldn't be corny like Space Heroes, right?

"Hey D, about time you got in here!" The orange-masked turtle beamed, shoving a plate of microwave pizza in his face. "Here you go, nice and hot!"

"Uh, thanks, Mikey." The genius turtle took the plate of hot pizza and took a seat on the couch between April and Casey. April gave him a small half-smile, while Casey seemed irritated to be separated from the girl. Donnie didn't pay attention to the hockey player sticking his tongue out at him when he asked, "So what's this show you want me to check out?"

"Dude, all of you gotta check this show out!" The freckled turtle stated, turning on the old television set. "It's called Crognard the Barbarian! It's even better than Super Robot Mecha Force Five! Look, it's starting right now!"

When the freckled turtle changed the channel to the cartoon in question, Donnie sat back and took in the old 80s animation and the over-the-top voice-acting coming from the characters. Of course, it was also something like a medieval-fantasy genre, which he often found ridiculous already; he could ignore the time they tried out LARPing. What was even more ridiculous was the barbarian and his companions beating up on a group of creatures offering them hospitality. It reminded him of Raph, actually, but he wouldn't say that out-loud. Judging from the expressions on April and Casey's faces, they thought along the same lines. Mikey, however, just sat there in awe of the show like it was a gateway to his wildest dreams.

"Mikey, I have to say…this cartoon is-"

"Guys, guys! GET UP HERE!"

Everyone dropped their plates of pizza at the sound of Raph's voice calling them. The urgency in his tone told the genius turtle that either something seriously bad happened or something wonderful happened. He hoped it wasn't the former; if Leo stopped breathing again, he would go into a fit of panic. He and Mikey wasted no time in rushing up the stairs, leaving April and Casey to sit in confusion, and bolting for the bathroom. Both of them tried to enter the room at the same time, and ended up all but stuck until Donnie made his way through.

"…Leo?"

The genius turtle expected the worst: Leo lying in the bathtub taking his last breath. He held his own breath as his eyes went to his eldest brother…and what he saw blew his mind. Instead of the worst, he saw Leo with his eyes open and looking around the room before seeing the other turtles. He stared at them for a few seconds until a weakened smile appeared on his lips. "H-Hey guys…"

Just hearing his brother's voice, despite how deeper and cracked it was, lifted Donnie's spirits and made him want to cry right then. Of course, he should've predicted Mikey beating him to the punch as his baby brother wrapped their brother in a semi-strangling hug. Leo protested enough to make him let go and get Raph to reach for him, prompting Donnie to go over and help him out of the bathwater. All of them noticed the accumulation of algae on the lower half of their leader's shell from the water, so they would have to give him a bath later. But for now…

"Come on, Leo…" Donnie began. "Let's get you downstairs and we'll explain everything."

* * *

"…So we've been here for three months? I-I've been out that long?"

Leonardo reclined on the sofa as Donatello checked his heart rate and lung function with his homemade stethoscope. The others sat surrounding him, all wearing worried expressions and taking in his renewed state of consciousness after three long months. He didn't remember much of what happened before, except for the face of the man who put him in that bathtub…Shredder. Now here he was, in a farmhouse he never knew of until April explained her connection to it, sore all over and wanting answers.

"You had us worried sick, Leo." April murmured. "Donnie and Raph barely slept…"

Donnie said nothing while Raph just shrugged the fact off as nothing. Barely slept was an understatement, however, especially on Donnie's part, and he wasn't going to tell his brother he took up smoking to cope. Casey suddenly inquired about the change in Leo's voice, and the purple-masked turtle explained, "Well, he sustained damage to his throat…and everywhere else, for that matter. Shredder did a number on him…"

Right then, Leo groaned and doubled over in pain. Raphael and April quickly got up to help him, but Donnie held up his hand and pulled out a bottle of what looked like mutagen. He came prepared with the 'elixir' he worked on for those three months, now ready to use it on his ailing brother. "Here Leo, take some of my patented mutagen medicine. You'll be healed in no time."

Pouring it into a spoon he swiped from the coffee table, the genius turtle placed the medicine into his brother's mouth and made sure he swallowed every bit of it. Leo instantly recoiled from the taste, wrapping his arms around his torso and shivering. "I-It tastes like it's…supposed to go out of me, not go into me…"

 _That's how medicine's supposed to taste, Leo._ Donnie wanted to give assurance that the bad taste meant it was very beneficial, but Raph jumped in and bragged about how he would get the eldest turtle back into shape first thing tomorrow by, of course, training. That made Donnie frown; Leo didn't need to be training so soon after waking up! If that hothead tried to make Leo exert himself more than needed, irreversible damage could occur. Trying to convince Raph that, though, would just result in the facts going in one ear and out the other. No wonder he was the one to come back with the most injuries…

"All right everyone, give Leo some air." Donnie commanded while trying to shoo everyone away. "You guys get to bed, I'll help Leo get to his room." He noticed Raph coming closer and added, "That includes you too, Raph."

Whatever comeback the hothead had died in his throat, making him scowl and stomp his way up the stairs. The others hesitated before heading to their respective rooms to prepare for the day ahead, leaving Leo and Donnie alone in the living room. However, neither of them said anything; Donnie kept looking at anything he could and Leo kept his eyes to the floor. Apparently, the latter remembered what happened before his confrontation with the Foot, contributing to the lack of conversation. Both of them feared that whatever they could say would be too little, too late. What could be said after all this?

"So…you said you were going to help me to my room?" Leo spoke first, picking at his knuckles.

"O-Oh, oh, right." Donnie nodded as he cleared his throat. "B-But before that, I…I wanted to talk to you, Leo. I wanted to tell you something important."

Sitting down on the sofa, the genius turtle wrung his hands together and let out a deep sigh; this was going to be a fun conversation. But it was time to be brave…time to put pride aside and talk from the heart. "Leo…I'm sorry."

The eldest turtle turned to him and stared with glazed-over eyes. "Sorry? For what?"

"F-For what?" The genius turtle sputtered. "Leo…Leo, don't play dumb! You know what! I'm sorry that I argued with you when the invasion happened! I'm sorry that I accused you of being self-centered, a-and everything being all about you, and saying that you lead us into disaster! That's what! If I wasn't so stupid to argue with you over that stupid Turtle Mech…"

Looks like the jig was up. Leo replayed that very argument in his mind and went over who was wrong and who was right. Well, judging from what he gathered…both of them were wrong. That 'Turtle Mech' wasn't ready, by no means, but they also had no time to set up a base outside New York. Separating from everyone in the tunnels also proved to be bad; because of that, Donnie got shot. So why was Donnie putting the blame on himself? He wasn't the one who failed the entire team by falling at Shredder's hands…

"Donnie…quit calling yourself stupid. You're not." Leo spoke, his voice hoarse yet firm. "It's my fault…I shouldn't have used my position as leader to push you guys around. That mech wasn't ready, but you still would've come up with a better plan than me. And…it's me you should be blaming."

Donnie blinked and swallowed hard. "…What?"

Leo let out a sigh, coughing for a second. "I shouldn't have separated us in the tunnels, and I got so caught up in formulating a plan that you got shot by the Kraang. I couldn't even lay a finger on the Shredder, and he took me down in no time! It…just proves that you were right. I DO lead everyone into disaster…and I'm sorry for that, Donatello. Maybe…maybe it's better if you or Raph led the team from now on."

"…Don't you ever say that again, Leonardo."

The eldest turtle stared up at his brother and opened his mouth to reply, but Donnie quickly cut him off. "Okay, for one, I said all of that because I didn't want to admit I was wrong and just wanted to hurt you. Second of all, just because your plans don't work all the time doesn't mean you're a disastrous leader! You can't be perfect, Leo…and we had no control over everything that happened. I'm just…" He stopped to run his hand over his head and gather his emotions. "I'm so sick of everyone blaming themselves for this…I blamed myself, April blamed herself, and now you're blaming yourself! Just stop with the blame and all the self-loathing!"

"But…"

"No BUTS, Leo! You've already had enough of a burden just being leader; don't add to it by focusing on your failures! Just focus on getting better…not through Raph's methodology, but the right way!" Donnie paused to lift his brother to his feet and slowly walk him to the base of the stairs. "Meaning taking as much time as needed to heal…"

He was glad that Leo didn't offer any argument; probably too tired to do so. The last thing he wanted to hear was his eldest brother putting himself down that much. True, he didn't beat Shredder, but none of them could've…not yet, anyway. Once he rested up, Donnie would talk to him later and try his best to get him out of this funk. After all, he managed to get out of his funk thanks to everyone else…it was time to do it for someone else.

* * *

 _"_ _Do you think you can heal him, Donnie?"_

 _"_ _Honestly…I don't know Leo. I just don't know…"_

 _"_ _Donnie worked all night to save you…Leo never left your side."_

 _"_ _That's what brothers are for."_

"Donnie?"

Donatello turned away from cleaning up when he heard someone address him. Everything on his work desk came as the result of what happened that night, and it all seemed to start with Leonardo vomiting the mutagenic medicine. Normally, that would've been attributed to a weak stomach-and Raphael ignoring his instructions by getting Leo to cross a creek on a CRUTCH-and left at that. That medicine, however, ended up creating a mutant Michelangelo called the 'Creep'. Said mutant ended up transforming Raph into a plant creature and absorbing the mutagen in his blood like fertilizer.

All of them ended up captured by that thing, until they were saved by an unlikely hero…Leo himself. Now, thanks to an all-nighter and non-stop work, Raph was restored and the Creep was now reduced to sludge in a jar. Everyone else retired to the farmhouse while Donnie tidied up…until he was addressed by none-other than Leo.

"Leo?" Donnie asked after putting away some equipment. "Why aren't you back at the farmhouse with everyone else?"

The blue-masked turtle leaned on his crutch and awkwardly cleared his throat. "I, uh…I-I just wanted to know if we could talk. I just noticed you were still in here, even after Raph left." He hobbled over to a bale of hay and took a seat, wincing when his bum knee acted up from it. "So…what's on your mind?"

The purple-masked turtle glanced around, caught off-guard, before sitting down in his chair and tapping his knee pads. "All right…well…" He drew a blank on what to say to his older brother, thinking he got everything out when Leo first woke up, but spoke anyway, "Tonight was rough, for one thing…I should've never made that medicine. It made you sick and it created that thing…"

"Don't be sorry, Donnie." Leo insisted. "You didn't know it would happen…and for the record, Raph pushed me a little too hard today. Besides, my stomach already felt woozy, so I shouldn't have taken a swig of that stuff." There was a pause, and Leo added, "Donnie…April told me what happened concerning Cheyloe. She also told me of the fight you two had after getting here, and how you coped. Even when you were down, you wouldn't stop until you could heal me. I've just got to ask…how do you do it? How do you keep going even when you don't want to?"

"W-Well, I wouldn't say I kept going." Donnie sheepishly admitted. "Even while I worked to heal you, I pushed everyone away and wallowed in my own self-pity. You waking up and recovering was important, yes, but I pushed away everything else that was just as important. But as for being able to 'keep going'…I guess you could say I thought of what you would do. I thought of what Splinter and Cheyloe would do…"

Leo tilted his head. "W-What I would do? I'm sure if it were me, I'd honestly panic or shut down. Splinter and Chey, I can understand…but ME?"

"I'm serious, Leo." Donnie frowned. "I don't just look up to you as a leader, but as a brother. I mean, sure, we have our disagreements, but how I look up to you doesn't change. There are time when I'm the one doing the panicking, but you keep a cool head because you know panicking won't do any good. You also focus on what's important…us. That's just one reason why we would never… _I_ would never want anyone else to be leader. You've got the drive and compassion needed for the job."

The eldest turtle swallowed a lump in his throat at those words. After waking up, he honestly lost all confidence in himself and any hope of leading his brothers again. When that Creep thing attacked, forcibly dragging April into the deep forest, he knew that he had to save his family and friends, no matter how hurt his body and mind were. Sure, he was still injured, but those wounds were nothing compared to his need to protect his loved ones…and Donnie saw that clear as day. "D-Donnie…thank you…a-and thank you for saving Raph. We didn't even thank you for restoring him, I-I'm sorry…"

"No thanks are needed, Leo." Donnie assured with a smile. But…you _could_ rub it in with Raph once we get back inside."

Leo chuckled for the first time in a while. "That won't be hard to do. Getting him to say a better thank you may present a bigger challenge, though."

The both of them laughed at the thought of Raph being made to give a humble thanks, considering he was one of the most stubborn mutants to exist. Silence fell upon them again, Donnie moving a few things on his desk, before the genius turtle suggested, "Well…what else do you want to talk about?"

"Uh…anything's fine, actually." Leo admitted. "We've got a lot of catching up to do, after all." It was then he noticed something hidden under a mess of papers on the desk; something metallic. He squinted his eyes before widening them. "Donnie…is that a _gun_? Where'd you get a gun!?"

Donatello glanced over at the confirmed gun and felt a pang of sadness in his heart. "Oh…that's Cheyloe's pistol. It and a few clips of ammunition got left behind after her fall. I know I don't like those things, but I held onto it…I guess like having a piece of her with us. I will admit…right after the invasion, when I isolated myself in here and looking at it, I actually thought of…"

He didn't have to finish the sentence for Leo to figure out that thought. "…You thought about killing yourself?"

As painful as it was to admit, Donnie gave a slow nod as a yes. "It was especially bad during the two weeks April and I refused to speak to each other. I constantly looked at it, and there was enough rope in the barn for…other things. I blamed myself for everything that happened, and I thought about ending it all just so no one else would suffer from me just existing. Then…I thought of how selfish that would be. If I did that, I would be hurting all of you and leaving you guilty. Heck, April would feel the worst because our last conversation would've been a heated argument. I did my best to push suicidal thoughts away…then one day, April and I made amends, and all of us just sat in a pile and cried over everything."

"…Does anyone else know about the gun?"

"No. They've been so busy with other things. Even when Casey came in here to work on that truck, he never paid any mind to it. I've been meaning to tell them I have it, but it keeps slipping my mind. But…I don't want them to know that I thought about taking my own life. Promise me you won't let them know…I don't want Mikey or April to freak out."

Leo honestly wanted to tell the others that Donnie had those thoughts so everyone could talk to him. But that would be a breach of Donnie's trust, and if he wanted to tell the others, he would tell them in his own time. Besides, the thoughts seemed to be conquered, from his brother's words, and there didn't seem to be a need to worry. In other words, the gun now served as something of a memento of a friend, not a reminder of the horrors of the invasion.

"…All right. I promise I won't tell them, Donnie. Just don't ever be afraid to talk to me about it if you ever have those thoughts again. That's what brothers are for."

 _That's what brothers are for._ Leo previously used those words to repay Raph for staying by his side over the past three months. Now he used those words to show Donnie that he would always be there to help him out of the darkest parts of his mind. He didn't deserve Leo…or his other brothers, or even April and Casey. Still, they stuck by him, especially through the ugly times, and he was forever grateful for that.

"…Thank you, Leo. Come on, let's go back inside before the others worry."

Donnie helped Leo to his feet and the two began the trek back to the farmhouse. All the while, the former felt a weight lift off his shoulders and a single thought flow through his mind.

 _Sensei…Cheyloe…if you're out there somewhere, then wait for us. We'll be home as soon as we can. Don't worry…I'll be all right now._


	25. Broken Triangles

**Author's Note: I'm back, and I finally managed to finish this chapter! Boy, is it a long one, but let me explain why. I felt like "A Foot Too Big" needed to be redone, because I wasn't totally satisfied with the outcome. But here we'll have Donnie truly reflecting on his feelings for April and whether or not they've been beneficial or harmful to himself and April. I also wanted Donnie to react differently to how pushy Bigfoot was with him. Another thing...I didn't like the Finger as a villain. So I decided to add a different villain, one you may recognize if you've watched the 2003 series. What'll happen next? Well, read and find out! Please review!**

* * *

Chapter 25: Broken Triangles

"Just a few more screws…oh, I hope I got the tune just right…"

Donatello narrowly avoided dropping a screw on the floor while he worked with his latest project. Everyone else was inside while he remained in the barn so he could keep his inventive mind at work. It wasn't the lab back at the lair, but it was close enough; at least Mikey didn't bother him much anymore. Just the other day, he made a new crutch for Leo and made repairs to Mr. O'Neil's 'Party Wagon', and now he simply worked on anything that came to mind. Today's invention came after he went through his laptop and found some music files.

A few months before the invasion, he remembered wanting to update his music library and brought it up while sharing coffee with Cheyloe. After much insistence on her part, he ended up going home with a few borrowed CDs. At first, he found it weird that she liked electronic and some rock/pop ballads, because he expected her to be a country-music person…but after going through the CDs, he found himself addicted to the genres. Heck, he even liked some of the music on those alternative CDs Casey let him listen to one time. So, with that on his mind…why not make a music box?

There was another reason he wanted to make one, though…he wanted to make a thank-you present for April. During the months they stayed at the farmhouse, he started thinking long and hard about his feelings towards her. There were a few times when he tried to flirt with her, just for the sake of trying to lighten the mood, unsurprisingly to no avail. It was the same-old game of April at one moment acting like it was cute and then ignoring him the next; the same could be said for Casey. As a result, he blew up at her and called her a flip-flop, even if he originally said it just to lash out at her over everything. But after they made amends, and she started helping him with Leo's medicine, he figured a gift was in order.

"And…there! Perfect!" Donnie declared, tightening the last screw. "Now, time to open it and see if it works."

The genius turtle opened the music box, relieved to hear a soothing melody emanate from it. To make it even more presentable, he carved elegant patterns on the inside of the lid, and the Hamato clan crest lay in the middle. April would be crazy not to love it; she's part of the family, after all.

"Hey D, what's that?"

Donnie quickly closed the music box when he saw Michelangelo approaching him. He spoke too soon…if Mikey came in here, he either came to tell him a meal was ready or he wanted something. It had to be the latter, and the thing he wanted was to find out what he made and, in Donnie's mind, how to break it. Before Donnie could tell Mikey it wasn't any of his business what it was, the freckled turtle snatched the music box from his hands and gave it an inspection.

"Hey…is this, like, a musical jewelry box? No offense, but ninja turtles don't wear jewelry, bro." The orange-masked turtle asked before his blue eyes brightened. "Wait, this is something a girl would like! Donnie, are you gonna give this to April and confess your love to her!?"

"N-No Mikey, I'm not-"

"Dude, that's so awesome! But if you're too nervous to do it, I'll do it for you, okay?" He suddenly leaned forward and pinched Donnie's cheek like a smothering grandma. "Don't you worry, D! You're baby bro's got your back all the way! Lemme take care of this for you, dude!"

"Wait, Mikey, no!"

Donnie reached out for his brother, but couldn't stop him from rushing to the farmhouse. If Mikey presented the gift to April with the wrong idea in mind, who knew what would happen! Jumping from his seat, the genius turtle sprinted out of the barn after Mikey. He almost tripped over some chickens and brushed past a sweat-drenched Casey on the way until he reached the front door. Maybe he could beat Mikey and get the music box from him before any damage occurred. April wouldn't get the wrong idea and think he was weird, then! As he flew through the front door and entered the living room…all hopes of damage control went out the window.

"…and he made it just for you! It's totally a gift to confess his undying love! Actually, he may be using it to propose to you, April!"

The purple-masked turtle's jaw dropped open when he saw his brother beaming like an idiot in front of April and showing her the music box. The redhead caught sight of him and, just as he feared, stared at him with an uncomfortable gaze. He watched her hold the music box like it was a soiled diaper, giving him the indication that she clearly didn't like it. Yet Mikey just kept grinning like he just won the role of Cupid. Before Donnie could go up and sock his brother in the shoulder, April smiled nervously and sat the box down on the end table.

"A-April, I…"

"Wow, uh…t-thanks, Donnie. That's…really nice of you." She maneuvered herself around the turtles before adding in a rushed voice, "I gotta go chop wood, see you later!"

The orange-masked turtle's grin melted at April's reaction before he looked at his brother. Needless to say, Donnie looked like a cross between a kicked dog and an angry hornet. How come April reacted that way? "Dude, I thought she'd like your love gift."

"…Only it WASN'T a love gift, you moron!" Donnie spat ferociously. "That was a THANK-YOU gift! I was trying to tell you that in the barn, but NO, you just assume that I was making her a gift because of a stupid crush! Why didn't you stop and listen to me, Mikey!?"

"…I was just tryin' to help…I thought that you were-"

"See, that's the problem! You don't stop and THINK! If you did, you wouldn't have made April think of me as a total CREEP!" Donnie turned to head out the door before adding, "…Why do you have to ruin everything, Michelangelo?"

The door slammed shut, leaving Mikey staring a gaping his mouth open like a suffocating fish. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, Leo and Raph appeared from upstairs and glared down at the turtle. Great, he was in for it now…what else was he going to ruin? Maybe Donnie wouldn't stay mad at him…maybe.

* * *

"Stupid Mikey…always has to mess up every good thing I try to do…"

Donnie gave a nearby bush a solid whack with his staff, grumbling under his breath all the way. Here he was, in the deeper part of the forest, trying to clear his head. The moment he exited the front door of the farmhouse, he bolted, ignoring everyone else calling for him. Of all the things Mikey could do, this was the stupidest stunt he pulled yet besides giving himself shellacne. Now April would look at him as some obsessive freak over a stupid music box, maybe giving her the incentive to flock to Casey's greasy arms once and for all. Lately, however, he struggled with those fears and his overall feelings concerning the redheaded teenager.

It all seemed to start after having conversations with Cheyloe and the incident with April's dad mutating. Granted, the brunette didn't try to suggest not crushing on April…she just gave him a new perspective on what constituted love. So really…was the music box actually a thank-you gift? Or…was it just another way to garner April's attention? He thought his feelings towards her would strengthen after Cheyloe's fall and basically being alone with her at the farmhouse…but whenever they showed affection, it wasn't the 'I want to go out with you' kind…it was the 'we're family no matter what' kind. In other words, the 'crush' seemed to weaken.

"Propose to her, is he crazy? Why would I do that? Never even had a date…" Donnie kept mumbling, not paying attention to his path in the forest. "Couldn't even get legally married to her; she'd have that chance with Casey. That idiot…"

Once he whacked a random tree branch, it finally registered to him that he got lost in the forest. Of all the things that could top being embarrassed by his brother, it was getting lost in a godforsaken forest. He groaned in frustration before pulling out his T-Phone and pressing a few buttons. While he button-mashed in order to call for backup, he failed to realize eyes were upon him from the surrounding foliage. Whatever those eyes belonged to slowly crept out of their hiding place and approached Donnie with a low growl.

"Can't get signal…can things get any worse!?"

As Donnie prepared to throw his phone to the ground, he froze when he felt a hot, foul breath on his neck. He swallowed hard before slowly turning his head and seeing where the stench came from. To his amazement and terror, there stood a giant, ape-like humanoid glowering down at him, teeth bared and a growl from its throat. The turtle's eyes widened as his mouth slowly opened and he let out a terrified scream.

He was staring right into the face of the legendary Bigfoot.

He scrambled to unsheathe his Bo staff before he managed to take a swing at the creature, but the cryptid grabbed the staff and used it to slam Donnie to the ground. The turtle spat dirt and grass and glared up at the creature; there was no way he would allow himself to be killed by Bigfoot, of all things. In retaliation, he used his Bo to slam the creature in the arm, right onto a patch of exposed, scratched skin. The ferocity left the cryptid's face and was replaced with pain as it cried out and clutched its arm.

Donnie took that as a cue to bolt…but something stopped him. He saw the creature in pain, and it tugged at his heartstrings. That wound was there before he hit it, and whatever caused it got Bigfoot good. Sighing, he asked himself, "Why am I such a nice person?" He sheathed his staff as he slowly approached the pained creature. "Hey…are you hurt? I'm sorry I hit you…I didn't know that was on your arm. May I take a look?"

The cryptid flinched when the turtle came closer, but as it sensed the lack of hostility from him it relented and slowly extended its injured arm. The turtle took hold of the arm and examined the wound. The cuts were like something from a weapon, maybe an arrow or buckshot, but the burn on it suggested the latter. Nothing a little gauze and wrap couldn't fix. "Hey, uh…come back with me, okay? I have the stuff needed to fix you up. Don't be scared…I promise I won't hurt you."

"…No…hurt me?" The creature spoke, its voice rattled.

"You can speak!" Donnie gasped in surprise, nodding his head at the question. "Yeah, I won't hurt you. Let's get you better…just follow me."

* * *

"So ya didn't even bother ta stop and listen ta him tell ya what it was!? Of all the stupid things ya did…"

Michelangelo fidgeted his thumbs at the volume of Raphael's scolding voice. April sat on the couch rubbing the back of her neck and holding the music box from earlier, while Leonardo leaned on his crutch glaring and Casey sat in the nearby chair holding back a snicker. When Donatello stormed out, Leo and Raph cornered Mikey and demanded an explanation. Knowing he couldn't hide anything from them, he fessed up that he mistook the thank-you present for April as a courtship gift, even when Donnie tried to explain what it was.

"I-I didn't mean to embarrass him like that!" Mikey defended hurriedly. "I just thought he still liked April and made the music box for that! Then he told me what it was for and he's probably gonna be mad at me forever!"

"…Now I feel horrible." The redhead spoke up. "I treated the music box like it had Ebola or something. If I knew what it was for, I wouldn't have acted like such a jerk. When Donnie gets back, I think we both owe him an apology."

The hockey player snorted. "Dude, even if he was makin' a 'love gift'…a music box? Really? How lame is that? I would've went fer an actual piece 'a jewelry!" He stopped when he got elbowed by Raph. "Ow! What was that for!?"

"You know what it's for." Raph retorted before addressing Mikey again. "When Donnie gets back, yer gonna have ta do a lot of stuff ta get on his good side again! And if I find out yer tryin' ta dodge the blame for it, I'll…"

Everyone paused when the door opened, revealing none-other than Donatello, who seemed calm and collected now. The genius turtle noticed the others and stared at them in silence, though he soon gave an awkward wave. "Uh…I'm back, guys. And I brought company…"

"DONNIE!" Mikey sprung from the sofa and wrapped his brother in a bear hug. "Dude, I'm so sorry about what I did! Please don't run away like that again!"

"M-Mikey, please, let me go, I-I can't breathe!" Donnie sputtered, feeling his plastron and shell groaning from the force of the hug. "M-Mikey…!"

The freckled turtle suddenly let go after much protest from his brother. Grinning sheepishly at his behavior, his face suddenly curled in disgust when he caught a whiff of something worse than the smell of the sewers. "Dude…what smells like a pile of roadkill? And what's with that giant wad of hair behind you?"

The genius turtle opened his mouth to explain said wad of hair, but the _wad of hair_ suddenly tripped on the edge of the porch and fell backwards through the doorway, right on top of Donatello. The others stared in awe at the groaning creature and the squished turtle, until Casey grabbed Leo by the shoulder and screamed, "It's BIGFOOT!"

"Big…foot?" The cryptid repeated, glancing at its foot and wiggling its toes before laughing. "I Bigfoot!"

"Donnie, you brought BIGFOOT home!?" Leo spat. "What were you thinking!?"

"Leo, look!" April pointed to Bigfoot's arm at the obvious wound. "He's hurt! Here, let me get the first-aid kit!"

When the redhead disappeared, Raph and Mikey were the first who dared to get closer to the legendary cryptid. Despite the skunky smell coming from the creature and the unkempt appearance, it didn't seem intent on causing harm to anyone; probably because of Donnie's kindness. Still, what caused that wound on its arm? There were people who often hunted for Bigfoot to prove it was real, but hardly anyone managed to wound it and tell the world about it. There was a television report about some big-game hunter around town claiming to have seen Bigfoot, but who would've taken that seriously?

"Hey Bigfoot, who did that to your arm?" Mikey questioned, pointing to the wound.

Bigfoot visibly flinched at the question and glanced away, looking at Donnie for protection. "Big, mean lady with guns…name Abi…Abigail Finn…"

"Wait." Donnie suddenly interrupted. "Do you mean you were hurt by Dr. Abigail Finn!? THE Abigail Finn!?" He put his hands to his face to collect himself of his horror and excitement. "She's one of the top biologists AND technologists out there! I've seen her achievements, like the SORTIES she invented herself! She's also the host of a creature hunter show…but it seems creature-hunting's made her go a little on the…nutso side."

The temperamental turtle snorted. "Guess tryin' ta prove monsters exist ta cynics drove 'er crazy. Now she's goin' after Bigfoot ta clear 'er reputation."

"But if that Abigail Finn lady is going after Bigfoot, then she might come after us, too!" Mikey realized, biting on his nails.

The genius turtle shook his head. "She's not getting Bigfoot OR us. As much as I respect her ingenuity, I wouldn't want her to put any of us in captivity or make us lab experiments. We'll be safe…"

* * *

"There you go…just as long as you don't use it too much, it'll heal nicely." April directed while tying the last of the bandages on Bigfoot's arm.

The cryptid eyed the bandages in curiosity, forgetting how much the antiseptic stung a few minutes ago, before it turned to Donatello and smiled. "Bigfoot thank Donnie and April."

The genius turtle chuckled sheepishly and waved his hand. "It's no problem, Bigfoot. We're glad to help."

"So Bigfoot, is it true that Dr. Abigail Finn is chasing after you for her monster show?" The redhead questioned in concern. "I figured she's be the type to humanely hunt for creatures…that wound proved me wrong about her."

Bigfoot cringed at the mention of the hunter. "Mm-hmm…Finn very bad lady. April good lady!" It suddenly turned to Donnie and gave him a peculiar look. "…And Donnie VERY good man. Very good…"

Donnie swallowed, now feeling uncomfortable at the way the cryptid stared at him all of a sudden. He looked random things up on the Internet, and he could've sworn those were what everyone called 'bedroom eyes'. Why was Bigfoot suddenly leaning closer? Why was he puckering his lips like that? Before the turtle could even get up, the cryptid swiftly leaned forward and planted a big, wet kiss on his cheek, leaving a trail of drool between the two while April stared in awe.

"Looove Donnie!" The cryptid cooed, picking up the mutant turtle and wrapping him in a hug. Before the turtle could fully ask what was going on, the creature added, "Bigfoot a lady!"

All the color drained from Donnie's face and he cringed at the revelation that Bigfoot was a SHE. "T-That's…great?"

His worst fears were confirmed when he heard not-so-discrete snickers coming from behind the sofa. Auburn eyes darted to the back of the room and witnessed his brothers and Casey, of all people, erupting into roars of laughter at his predicament. He would never hear the end of this…and then he saw how April reacted. April just stood there, staring at them like the whole thing was cute; how could anyone think this was CUTE!? Of all the people to fall in love with him, it had to be Bigfoot…how flattering.

Everyone stopped in place when a knock on the door permeated the room. Who knew where the house was? All except April and Casey went into the kitchen and surrounding rooms to hide while the redhead went to the door to see who it was. She sat the first-aid kit down on a table next to the door and opened it. To her shock, there stood a tall, burly woman in hunting gear wearing glasses and having what looked like a rifle strapped to her back. The frightening woman wore a stone-cold expression as she stared down at the teenage girl.

"Hello there." She greeted. "Are your parents home? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"U-Uh…" April glanced around in desperation before replying, "Th-They're at work, a-and I'm home sick today!" She faked a cough before asking, "C-Can I help you, Miss…"

"Doctor." The woman corrected sharply. "Dr. Abigail Finn. I've come here because I've followed a trail of unknown tracks to this property... **cryptid** tracks. You haven't seen anything…suspicious lurking around this farm, have you, little girl?"

 _Little girl? I'm practically eighteen, lady!_ April quickly shook her head. "No, of course not! Nothing suspicious here! Just me and my, uh, cousin watching over the house while Mom and Dad are away!"

Abigail Finn narrowed her eyes and pushed up her glasses, glancing around the house and looking for signs of anything suspicious. Of course, it looked like some teenagers occupied the residence, but it could be summed up to kids having parties while their parents were away. Still, the hunter wasn't fully convinced of the story…she'd let it slide for now, though. Giving a sniff, she finally replied, "…Very well. Just let me know if you see anything at all. I'll be camping out in the deeper part of the woods…so just give me a shout. Have a nice day."

The hunter departed and April closed the door with a deep sigh, noticing the others peeking their heads into the foyer. She noticed Bigfoot obsessively clinging onto Donnie, much to his chagrin, and figured there were some things that needed to be done to ensure Abigail Finn didn't discover them. Casey came out of the living room and offered a wry smile.

"Cousin, huh?" He asked cheekily.

"Oh, shut up, it was all I could think of." April grumbled.

* * *

Donatello sighed while he sat on the edge of the bed and stared blankly at the screen of his T-Phone. Finally, he managed to get a break and get some time to himself…no Bigfoot in sight. All day, wherever he went, she was right there breathing down his neck like a lovesick puppy. Everything from staring over him while he worked in the barn, force-feeding him popcorn when he tried to watch TV, and even trying to cook soup made from decomposing animals. All of it made him uncomfortable and desperately desiring to be all by himself. He still got snickers and smirks from his brothers and Casey, but that was the least of his worries.

He skimmed through his phone and pulled up some pictures. Blueprints, Kraang and Foot intel, family pictures…and then he found a selfie of himself and Cheyloe, both holding iced coffees she purchased from a nearby coffee stand. It was about a month before the invasion, back when they didn't have a care in the world. Now she was gone, and the turtle would be the first to admit he still cried over her during the night. He could forgive himself for what happened in New York and what happened to Leo…but he still couldn't forgive himself for what happened to HER. Now he had Bigfoot disrupting his ongoing grief; a love-struck Bigfoot, worst of all.

"Huh…is this how April felt in the past?"

He didn't realize until after he muttered that to himself how powerful it was. When he first met April, he thought love at first sight existed. Thanks to that stupid crush, he often found himself acting in a way that many others would automatically assume to be creepy. The flowchart could be forgiven; it wasn't done out of creepiness, but that was how his brain functioned. That time he used Metalhead's video feed to watch her, however, was a grievous mistake he never wanted to make again. He even called her 'his sweet Princess' several times, had pictures of her on the wall of his lab, or that time he went and broke Mr. O'Neil out of that Kraang facility. Donnie would be the first to admit that he didn't do it just to rescue an innocent man…he did it to earn brownie points from April.

Now Bigfoot displayed the same behavior, albeit less sophisticated, right in his face. The creature obviously had the idea that if she persisted enough, Donnie would like her back…just like how he believed in April's case. Granted, it wasn't remotely okay that Bigfoot was that pushy and vice-versa, but it still threw an eye-opening realization in the turtle's face. Question was, how would he proceed with this? Maybe going outside and getting some fresh air would help him contemplate what to do.

Donnie quietly stepped out of the room and rushed for the stairs, hopping down several thanks to his years of ninjitsu. Everything was clear towards the front door, so he hopped to it and exited the house with determination. Raph was playing video games, Mikey was putting the chickens up, and he could hear Leo and Casey in the barn. April was probably in the kitchen, so he would go towards the creek and gaze into the night for a while. And then…right as he headed for the creek, a certain someone stopped him. Who was it? Bigfoot, of course, and presenting him with an entire, uprooted rose bush.

"B-Bigfoot, w-what're you doing!?" Donnie sputtered, jumping back.

The cryptid grinned and held out the flowers until they brushed against Donnie's beak. "Give Donnie present! Donnie like?"

Fighting the urge to sneeze, the genius turtle murmured, "T-They're, uh, very nice, Bigfoot, but I don't think giving me an entire bush is necessary. I just want some alone time, okay?"

Bigfoot's grin melted away instantly. "B-But…why Donnie want alone time? Bigfoot want be with Donnie…"

"Bigfoot, look, you're being nice and you have good intentions, but sometimes people just need time to themselves. Trying to force yourself into that won't work." Donnie sighed, turning to leave. "Look, I REALLY want to be alone right now."

Unfortunately, Bigfoot wouldn't take no for an answer. In desperation, she reached out and roughly grabbed Donnie by the arm in an attempt to pull him back to her. "Donnie no leave! What Bigfoot need to do-"

"Bigfoot, you're CREEPING ME OUT!" The purple-masked turtle shouted, yanking himself free of the cryptid's grasp. "I know you're crushing on me, but take a hint that I DON'T have the same FEELINGS towards you! I've tried to be nice about it, but this is going too far! You can't force me to like you! I don't like you that way, and I NEVER will, okay!? Just leave me alone!"

Donnie took a moment to steady his breathing after getting his pent-up frustration out. Bigfoot, both absorbing his words and frightened by his shouting, became panicked before running towards the deep forest in quiet sobs. The turtle's expression softened and he sighed, burying his face in his hands. He didn't mean to lose his temper, but enough was enough. Yet now he felt like the biggest jerk in the world. After the cryptid bolted for the woods, Mikey ran from the porch while Leo and Casey came out of the barn to investigate.

"Dude, why'd Bigfoot run off?" The freckled turtle asked.

"I-I yelled at her because she wouldn't leave me alone." The genius turtle admitted. "She was just getting in my space and shoving soup and flowers in my face that I just snapped. I know you guys found the whole thing funny and all, but…"

"Donnie, we didn't realize she made you THAT uncomfortable." Leo acknowledged. "You shouldn't have yelled at her, but I get why you did. You should go find her and apologize, though…"

Donnie gave a nod and opened his mouth to reply when the sound of a shot echoed through the trees. The shot followed with a roar of agony, prompting Donnie and Mikey to unsheathe their weapons. "That sounded like Bigfoot!" Mikey noted. "C'mon, we gotta go help her!"

Donatello and Michelangelo bolted for the forest, with Leo's approving nod. He and Casey decided they would go inside and alert Raph and April to what happened. Unbeknownst to them, though, the entire exchange between the genius turtle and the cryptid went seen and heard by a certain redhead at the kitchen window.

* * *

"Bigfoot!" Donatello shouted into the forest. "Bigfoot, where are you!?"

"Bigfoot, don't be scared! It's us!" Michelangelo shouted. "Come out, Bigfoot!"

The two turtles kept up their frantic search for the cryptid, but so far that search bore no fruit. That made Donnie worry the most, especially since Bigfoot could be hurt because she ran off crying. He still stood by how he felt, but he would apologize for the harshness of his tone. He would feel even worse if Bigfoot actually got shot. Come to think of it, the shot didn't sound like a standard hunting rifle…it sounded more like…

"Mikey, we shouldn't let our guard down." Donnie warned quietly. "I think Abigail Finn is still in the area."

"You think she shot at Bigfoot, D?" Mikey wondered. "We gotta stop her before she goes after us next!"

"We'll do that AND make sure she doesn't have a video camera on her so she won't broadcast our entire existence to the world!" Donnie noted. "If the Kraang or Foot saw that we're alive and in Northampton, they'll come track us down! That is, if Finn doesn't experiment on us first!" He suddenly stopped when he heard another cry of pain. "C'mon, let's move!"

The two of them picked up the pace, heading for the deepest part of the woods in order to find what they were looking for. After a few moments, they finally came across a small clearing, and happened upon a large, armored truck. Right next to the truck stood Abigail Finn herself, pointing her rifle to something on the ground. That something turned out to be a frightened and injured Bigfoot. Donnie's heart lurched and he tightened the grip on his Bo staff before he and Mikey charged out of the thicket and right behind Finn.

"Let Bigfoot go!"

Abigail Finn turned away from Bigfoot in time to see the mutant turtles. Her stone-cold eyes widened behind her glasses at the sight of the armed creatures; she HAD to record this. "What the…reptilian humanoids? Wielding weapons!? What on Earth are you creatures!?"

"That's none of your business!" The freckled turtle spat. "Just let Bigfoot go and we won't fight you!"

Finn stared at them in awe still, but she suddenly smirked and turned her high-tech rifle on the turtles. "You're even better than Bigfoot! It can run off for all I care…the both of you are much more valuable! The scientific community will serve me with grant after grant for a discovery like this, and I'll have my reputation restored for sure!" The rifle sparked to life as she added, "Now hold still and the tagging process won't hurt so much…"

Donnie and Mikey wasted no time in dodging a blast from the weapon. The genius turtle went for the first blow, but the burly woman dodged it and punched him right in the middle of the plastron. Seeing his brother fall to ground crumpled over, Mikey let out a battle cry and tried to knock the rifle away from Finn. Unfortunately for him, the woman managed to grab his arm, twist it behind him, and slam her boot onto his shell. Bigfoot watched in horror as the burly woman beat up on the mutants, the latter managing to get a few hits on her. The cryptid glanced around and saw a piece of a rotted log lying on the ground before staring at Finn's back. Bigfoot wasted no time in picking it up with her good arm and chucking it at the hunter.

When Abigail yelped at the degraded wood hitting her from behind, Donnie stared in shock at the now-angry Bigfoot. "Bigfoot, get out of here! You've got to run! Get as far away as you can! Go!"

Despite being hurt, the cryptid stood up and towered over a still-stunned Abigail. "No…Bigfoot no run. Finn hurt Bigfoot and friends…now Bigfoot _hurt_ Finn."

The burly woman cringed and took a step back, holding up her rifle and readying to shoot Bigfoot. However, a kurisagama chain shot out and wrapped itself around the weapon, yanking it out of her grasp. Did that deter the hunter? No…she used that opportunity to push a button on her belt and open up a hatch on her truck. The turtles and Bigfoot watched as several metallic ball-shaped objects spilled out of the hatch and surrounded their feet.

"Look out! Those are SORTIES!" Donnie exclaimed. "Don't let them hit you! They can shoot lasers and liquid nitrogen!"

Once Donnie completed his sentence, the robots opened up and began shooting out clouds of liquid nitrogen. With their cold-blooded nature still prevalent even with their mutation, the turtles would freeze in an instant, indicated by their bodies stiffening and the grass crackling beneath them. Bigfoot, however, wouldn't allow that. She managed to pull a slender tree out from the ground and use it to smash some of the robots into pieces before throwing the tree right into the truck. Donnie and Mikey took care of the rest of the robots once their bodies could move again, and now they all set their sights on Abigail Finn. Finn still wouldn't give up, though, as she fetched her rifle and pointed it at the turtles and cryptid.

"I won't let any of you ruin my chances of redemption!" She shouted, sweating and gritting her teeth. "You can't stop me from getting what I want! I'll have my fame back even if I have to bring you in DEAD!"

That was the last straw for a certain cryptid. With a loud roar, Bigfoot charged the burly woman and slammed her fist right into her face, shattering her glasses and sending her flying into her now-damaged truck. Finn collapsed to the ground and fell unconscious as a result. Bigfoot panted and attempted to cool her anger as the turtles approached her.

"…Bigfoot?" Donnie addressed quietly.

The cryptid turned to the genius turtle and her face softened. Donnie braced himself for her to lash out, but instead, he watched as she sighed and stared at him with a saddened expression. "Bigfoot…understand. Donnie no like Bigfoot…Bigfoot still want be friends with Donnie."

"Bigfoot…I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, okay?" The genius turtle admitted. "I mean, I'm not straying away from how I feel…and let's be honest here, I'm not the best person for you. You're not the best person for me, but that doesn't mean there's not someone out there for you. It'll take time, but you'll find someone…maybe even someone you never expected to fall for."

That caused a smile to appear on Bigfoot's face. "Donnie think so? Then Bigfoot wait for right person…and right person find Donnie." Her attention turned to the fallen hunter. "What do about Finn?"

"She'll be out cold for a while, but you should still go and get as far away as you can." Donnie replied. "I'll go into what's left of her truck and put a virus in her systems, just in case she recorded us. It'll fry the rest of her SORTIES, too. Now she won't have proof of us."

"So she won't report us to the world, D?" Mikey asked with caution.

Donnie chuckled and pulled out some tools. "No one'll believe her without proof. She'll just be seen as a nut." He turned to Bigfoot and offered a sad smile. "Well…goodbye, Bigfoot. I do hope you find your special someone."

"Bye-bye Donnie and Mikey." Bigfoot waved, also giving a sad smile. "Bigfoot hope Donnie find special someone too."

The cryptid gave another wave before walking deeper into the woods, parting ways with the turtles. Mikey quietly observed his older brother staring at Bigfoot before saying, "We'd better hurry, Donnie. Don't wanna worry the others, right?"

* * *

After Donatello and Michelangelo returned that night, they had a ball explaining exactly what happened to Bigfoot and their encounter with Abigail Finn. Despite Leonardo lecturing them on walking into danger like that, they all agreed that the important thing was they were back alive. It was obvious to Donnie that the others seemed relieved of Bigfoot's absence; she did cause some trouble with the bathroom and her roadkill soup. Nevertheless, the genius turtle had trouble sleeping that night, both from pure exhaustion and mulling over his exchange with Bigfoot. He and Bigfoot were in no way compatible, that was obvious…and now he wondered if he was truly compatible with April.

He thought about that even during the next day, when he found himself standing outside and watching as the redheaded girl fiercely chopped firewood. Ninjitsu certainly improved her upper body strength, enough so that the turtle visibly flinched when she brought the axe down on an unsuspecting log. But that would now have to wait…he needed to talk to her now. Taking a deep breath, Donnie cleared his throat and called out, "April?"

April sat down her axe, turning around and wiping her forehead. "Hey, what's up, Donnie?"

Donnie watched the girl tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, like she always did. It was a cute habit, and it made a small smile come to his face. Enough admiration, though…time to be serious. "Well…I just wanted to talk to you about something. I just…" He swallowed a lump in his throat and let out a shaky breath. "I've honestly been thinking about this for a while, but the incident with Bigfoot really opened my eyes. I just wanted to tell you that…I've had a crush on you since we first met. When I first saw you that night you and your dad first got kidnapped, I truthfully thought it was love at first sight…but all this crush has done is bring trouble to everyone…especially you."

Seeing that he had April's full attention by her shocked expression, he continued. "I've went about it all the wrong way. I got up in your space when you didn't want me to, made a flow chart on how to hang out with you, observed you with Metalhead, called you a princess…all that time, I thought that if I persisted, you'd start to feel affection towards me, too. And what's that done? It's just pushed you further away. I can see now why you've been hanging out with Casey much more lately…"

"Donnie…" April watched when Donnie yelled at Bigfoot, and it made her realize something about him. Compared to her, he actually had the guts to say what he felt that night. He actually had the guts to say no. He wanted to set the record straight, so it was time she did too. "Donnie, it was never my intention to lead you on or give you false hope. I had suspicions that you crushed on me, and with what's going on, starting a relationship wouldn't have worked. But I was so afraid of hurting your feelings that I didn't have the courage to tell you the truth, so I just beat around the bush and just gave you false hope when I shouldn't have. Casey and I are just friends, too, so don't think I'm hopping into the romance boat with him."

The genius turtle chuckled at that statement. "I believe you on that, April. Back to the point…I just wanted to say that the crush is just that…a stupid crush. I don't want something so misguided to threaten what we already have…a relationship as best friends. That's something I already treasure so much…and I don't want to complicate things by trying to woo you. Besides, a wise person once told me that love at first sight is a total crock."

"I never thought of it like that." The redhead confessed. "But I can see truth in that statement. I think you've figured out that by us getting to know each other…we have better chemistry as best friends than boyfriend and girlfriend. Still…are you going to be okay with this decision, Donnie?"

Donnie offered a firm nod, now finding his confidence. "Yeah…I mean, I _will_ be okay. It was hard for me to finally come out and say it, but I don't want you trying to make me happy when it makes you miserable, and vice-versa. I want to focus on what's most important right now…getting our home back. So…" He offered his hand and gave a warm smile. "Best friends forever?"

April smiled greatly in return and clasped the turtle's hand, giving it a firm shake. "Best friends forever."

With the two in agreement, they decided to head in the farmhouse for something to drink. Over at the barn, the doors slowly opened all the way to reveal Leonardo, who wore a small grin and stared at his brother and friend walking together. Raphael stepped out from behind him, wearing a similar expression, before clasping his brother's shoulder.

"I'm proud of him." Leo commented. "Looks like they'll hold to that promise."

"I'll admit…I was secretly rootin' for 'im ta hook up with April." Raph stated quietly. "But he did the right thing…they both did. So, wonder how Casey'll react if he finds out April sees him as 'just friends', too?"

"I'm sure April'll break it to him if he starts getting too pushy. At least this whole lover's quarrel thing is over with now…not just for us, but for them as well." The blue-masked turtle leaned on his crutch and headed out. "Come on, let's see if Mikey's done with that lemonade."

The red-masked turtle snorted and followed his brother. "Just hope he didn't sneak pepperoni in it."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry to all the hardcore Apritello shippers, but I think these two work better as just being best friends. Does that mean I don't want Apritello to happen in the show? Of course not. While canon Apritello isn't my favorite, I'll be happy if it happens in the show. I like fanon Apritello more, but I'm still going to have these two as just being friends in this story. Well, the next chapter will have the Vision Quest in it, along with hints of a new character that'll appear later on. Stay tuned!**


	26. Like the Mountain

**Author's Note: Well, hello there everyone! The next chapter is finally up! Like I said, it's the Vision Quest, only this is focusing on Donnie's quest, since he's the main character of this story! So I bet you can guess what the next chapter will be about. Donnie must deal with having to rely on his body as much as his mind, and he may receive some help from someone new.**

 **I also wanted to clarify something. The recent review I got was basically complaining that I'm not doing Apritello in this story. To make it clear: if I don't want to ship Apritello in this story, I don't have to. It doesn't mean I hate Apritello, I'm just not doing it here. I write this story in my free time, and I just don't like it when someone nitpicks over something silly like that. Anyway, mini-rant over, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 26: Like the Mountain

 _Donatello opened his eyes and looked down. No grass or hardwood appeared at his feet…it was the familiar asphalt and stone that made up the top of a building. This wasn't Northampton…he was back in New York. But how? What happened to make him appear back home? Amidst the cloudy sky and noise below, he looked to the edge of the building and saw none-other than…_

 _"_ _Cheyloe?" He mouthed, now bolting towards the brunette standing still. "Cheyloe!?"_

 _Right before he could reach her, the building cracked beneath him, and he had to watch in horror as Cheyloe plummeted down into the abyss below. "NO!" Seeing the blackness below, he now saw that everything became a black void. "W-What's going on!?"_

 _"_ _Why couldn't you save her, turtle?"_

 _Donnie whipped around, looking in horror to see the Shredder himself looming over him with his blades extended. The turtle panicked and tried to run, but was promptly stopped by another grisly sight: the fake Mrs. O'Neil encountered a few weeks before in its hideous alien form. He remembered how his body was used by that thing after his desperate attempt to warn the others about the truth of its nature._

 _"_ _Why didn't you go look for her, Donatello?" The creature ground out. "You didn't look for her body!"_

 _"_ _Leave me alone!" Donnie screeched in desperation._

 _Right then, one of those Dream Beavers from a few days earlier materialized from the abyss and cackled in his face, licking its lips. Didn't those things stop being a threat when they were released from that book? Why did one of them come back? HOW did it come back? "She fell down into the sewers and you did nothing to save her, did you, salty turtle? Some friend you are!"_

 _Donnie bolted once again, only to be stopped this time by that whack-job mutant car, Speed Demon. Boy, he was still freaked from it possessing his body to use against Casey. The vehicle revved its engine several times before rumbling out, "It's almost like YOU killed 'er, Donatello!"_

 _"_ _You killed her!" The other creatures chanted in unison. The existing ones were soon joined by the Foot Mutants, Kraang, and even the rogue mutants they faced._

 _"_ _You KILLED her!"_

 _"_ _YOU KILLED HER!"_

 _"_ _No…stop…STOP IT!" Donnie sunk to his knees and covered his head, mumbling and begging for them to stop reminding him of that moment. "I don't want to hear it! Get away from me! STOP IT!"_

 _As he slowly allowed himself to be consumed by the darkness, something began to drive the manifestations of the evil he recently faced away. The voices taunting him grew faint, morphing into dull echoes, until they were replaced with a new sound. Soft footsteps approached him from the abyss, stopping right in front of his collapsed form. Too afraid to open his eyes, he only felt a hand rest on the top of his shell; whatever this presence was, it felt warm and almost comforting._

 _"_ _Time to wake up, Donatello…" An unfamiliar and youthful voice spoke. "You've got a big journey to go on soon. Better get ready."_

Donnie's eyes shot open as he lay in bed. He darted his eyes around the room and noticed the sunlight of the morning filtering in. It was all a dream? That voice, though…who did it belong to and why did it seem so real? He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes before grabbing his mask and putting it on. Morning training would start soon, and he didn't feel like hearing Raph give him a 'you're late' lecture. Leo was bad enough with lectures, but Raph came in a close second. Maybe training would clear his head and make him forget that nightmare…

* * *

"Straighten yer stance, Donnie! Don't leave yerself wide open! Mikey, concentrate! April, put some back into it fer once!"

Donnie groaned at his brother's criticism, despite the truth in it. All except Leo were present for this morning's training exercise; he went out to practice with his arrows and make sure his leg still functioned. Casey stood on the side holding a log for April to practice with, as she couldn't break them with ease yet like she could. Still, the genius turtle couldn't exactly focus because he still thought of that dream and that voice. He got so caught up in thinking of the dream that he almost got clocked by his freckled brother.

"Donnie, focus!" The temperamental turtle barked. "Get yer mind outta the gutter and hit Mikey!"

"Sorry, Raph." Donnie sighed, setting his staff aside and staring down at the ground. "My mind's just…elsewhere today. Can we take a break?"

"D, you okay?" Mikey asked, putting away his nunchaku. "You look pretty down, bro."

Donnie instantly shook his head. "I-It's nothing, Mikey…just a bad dream last night. I'll shake it off after a while…"

Mikey didn't buy that for one second. He hated it when Donnie decided to keep whatever ailed him emotionally bottled up, either to keep everyone from worrying or to prove that he wasn't the weak link. He hated that his brother put such a burden on himself, just like he hated how Raph put himself in danger for them and how Leo constantly sacrificed himself for their sakes. "Donnie, come on and talk to me. Whatever's bothering you, don't keep it buried inside your shell. That's why we talk!"

As much as he wanted to tell his brother what troubled him, Donnie couldn't. "Mikey, listen-"

"Leo!?"

Everyone's attention diverted to returning and obviously-limping Leonardo. By the looks of things, his leg started rebelling against him again, even when it should be recovered by now. Donnie, Raph, and Mikey instantly rushed to their brother's side and held him up so he wouldn't collapse. The leg shouldn't have caused him to be this exhausted, and Donnie noticed some bruising on his eldest brother's face and plastron.

"Leonardo, what happened to you!?" The genius turtle asked in a panic.

The blue-masked turtle gave a grunt before breathing out, "…I just had a realization in the woods."

"Going off in the woods with a bum leg was a bad idea?" Raph deadpanned.

"No…it's exactly what we need." Leo replied, hardening his gaze at the others. "We've been so caught up with pizza, TVs, and T-Phones that we haven't even established a connection with nature; we're at odds with it! A true ninja must become one with nature and master himself…"

Mikey frowned. "Dude, leave TV out of this."

"Leo has a point…even Master Splinter did it." Donnie piped up. "Only when you become one with nature can you make peace with yourself…"

 _Peace with yourself…how can you possibly make peace with yourself when you caused her to die?_

"Make peace?" The red-masked turtle questioned. "We're ninjas, not hippies!"

Leo only frowned at Raph's skepticism, but he wouldn't be deterred from this. He needed to do this, and his brothers needed it as well…he could sense that besides himself, Donnie was in dire need of this. "I have a plan…we'll do three days of meditation and practice awareness in the wilderness, only eating what we can forage. That means NO PIZZA, Mikey."

Before the orange-masked turtle could protest, April stepped forward with an eager smile on her face. "A camping trip sounds awesome! Count me in, Leo! I'm SO ready to get out of the farmhouse!"

The lead turtle suddenly held up one hand. "April, I understand that you want to go and train with us…but you're not ready. You haven't reached our level yet, and you're still getting the hang of your psychic powers. Take the time to finish learning the combat aspect, then you can train in the spiritual aspect. You'll get to go on a spiritual quest one day, okay?"

April frowned and pouted for a moment, but she saw the point Leo made. Right now, she barely made success in punching through a log, so how would she handle a spirit quest? And besides the dream telepathy display when those Dream Beavers almost killed the turtles, she still had little control over her Kraang abilities. As much as she hated waiting, she had to be patient and bring herself up to being ready. Sighing in defeat, she replied, "…Okay, Leo. You guys just be careful out there and come back…alive, I might add."

Casey suddenly waltzed up to the redhead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Well, since the guys are gonna be gone…we get ta spend some alone time together."

If it were the old him, Donnie would be in a fit of panic over April and Casey being alone together. Instead, he merely rolled his eyes and headed for the farmhouse to get ready. Since he decided to end his pursuit of April and be the best friend he could be with her, a load lifted off his shoulders. Things were no longer awkward between the two, and they could talk about things without seeming like they were coming onto each other. He also felt better and no longer blamed himself for what happened to Leo and Splinter during the invasion…but there was still one thing weighing his mind down, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get that particular weight off his shoulders. It was something he wanted to disclose with April, but couldn't bring himself to do it. It was a problem he had to carry on his own…

"Donnie? You coming, bro?" Mikey asked when he stepped next to his brother.

Donnie snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. "Y-Yeah, I'm coming. Just gotta pack my bags and I'll be ready."

* * *

Almost three days, and how much success did they have at connecting with their spiritual sides? Zero. Zero success whatsoever. Things seemed to be going fine; Mikey actually conquered his fear of squirrels. However, Donatello knew their success was fleeting when they encountered that mysterious deer that seemed attached to Leonardo. That deer turned out to be a Shinto spirit, some sort of guide on their journey…and apparently, said guide showed them just how much they already failed on their journey. Thus, they all sat moping around a campfire, Mikey trying in vain to cook those nasty frozen pizzas over the open flame. Donnie found himself surprised that Leo didn't chastise their baby brother for bringing processed food. Well, there was no mood for scolding over bringing frozen pizza after pummeling each other over that deer.

Donnie pulled out his T-Phone and struggled to find a signal, watching the others sitting quietly and mulling over their thoughts. Did that Shinto spirit possibly sense their troubles and deem them unworthy of completing their quest? He pondered over that, along with his deep thoughts about his nightmares. Maybe now was a good time to share his troubles…but he quickly decided against it over fear of dampening the mood even further. So he just stared at the now-blank screen of his phone, thinking one sentence that seemed to cross through everyone's minds.

What would Master Splinter do right now?

They knew part of the answer: he wouldn't give up until he obtained peace. He wouldn't resign himself to putting in half the effort and becoming a ninja only in the physical sense. He wouldn't stop until he obtained true balance between the physical and the spiritual. That's what he would do. They needed him so much right now for guidance and reassurance, but he wasn't here with them. However, something heeded the call in their minds and hearts. The impossible happened; the hot, orange flames providing them warmth suddenly shifted to a cold, blue color; Donnie believed it to be akin of the will-o-the-wisps of European lore. The flames took on a life of their own, shooting upward and forming a shape until…

"Master Splinter!?"

There he was…Master Splinter in an ethereal form, arms behind his back and eyes looking down at his kneeling sons. The face they hadn't seen for almost five months and wanted to see since day one. " _Watashi no musuko tachi yo_." He greeted, noticing the shock in his sons' faces. "My sons, my spirit has become detached from my body, but that body still lives."

"Y-You're alive!?" Leo cried out, standing up. "Tell us where you are, Sensei! Let us help you!"

Splinter shook his head. "You cannot yet…there is much you must overcome. If none of you can find your inner, spiritual strength, you stand no chance against the Shredder."

"B-But Sensei, my leg injury, it's physical…" Leo protested, silenced by his father's spirit putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Leonardo, we choose what holds us back and what moves us forward." The rat spoke, not noticing Donatello's eyes widening at that statement. "You will all learn this. Each of you must journey out alone and face your spiritual adversary." He immediately turned to Raphael. "Raphael, your temper is like a fire that you must learn to focus for power." Next was Michelangelo. "Michelangelo, your mind is overrun with distractions. Learn to be strong and calm, like the forest." His gaze immediately went to Donatello, and Splinter took notice of the pain in his face equaling Leonardo's. "Donatello…you rely too much on your mind, not your body, and you cripple yourself with guilt over the past. You must be strong, like the mountain." Finally, he went and looked at his eldest son. "Leonardo, you must be the leader in body and spirit. Be like the wind…let nothing weigh you down."

With each of his sons giving a nod of acceptance, the rat gave his own nod of acknowledgment. "Sleep now, my sons, for your greatest trial awaits on the spiritual plane. The challenges you face there will be just as deadly as those you face in the real world." As he disappeared in a whirlwind of blue flames, he lastly spoke, "I love you, my sons."

Once Splinter's spiritual form disappeared, the turtles took the moment to collect themselves from the shock of seeing their father again, and the shock of what was to come. The prospect of each of them going out alone scared them; they were so used to fighting as one. Splinter had a point…they had to each go on separate journeys and discover their spiritual selves. That was something that frightened Donatello the most, considering his need to rely on his mind instead of his physical strength. How could he just go and use his body and not his brain? More importantly, how could he succeed in keeping his lingering guilt from impeding his success?

 _Sensei…I don't know if I can do this, but I'll try._

* * *

That morning, Donatello and his brothers made their resolve to complete their individual spirit quests, even with uncertainty lingering in their hearts. Each of them gathered what materials they could and used them to forge new weapons. For the genius turtle, since he was supposed to be 'like the mountain', he gathered up nearby stones and chiseled away at them for hours. He wanted something similar to his Bo staff, so he chiseled enough to create an axe-head to connect with a spare staff. The leftover stones were made into something that fit him well, to his surprise: a shaman-style mask.

Sporting a short cowl and resting his stone mask over his head, Donnie found himself alone as he left his brothers. They wished each other the best, setting up a marker to know where to return to; one marked with the kanji of their elements: _Fū, Rin, Ka,_ and _Zan_. However, Donnie had to admit to himself he didn't know where to start on his quest. He slapped his forehead on that thought. _Duh. Be like the mountain, so climb a mountain. I'm losing it._ "All right, so I wonder how I'll get up a mountain without the proper climbing gear. Wish I brought my grappling gun from the lair…"

As the genius turtle adjusted his hood, he suddenly found himself met with thick fog, obscuring his vision. "Ugh, where's a fog light when you need-" He halted in his complaints when something in the fog caught his eye, and he leaned in closer to get a better look. "…Who is that?"

Donnie couldn't make out any specific details, but shrouded in the fog stood a silhouette of what looked like a person. This person seemed much smaller compared to him, and he couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl. It didn't even move a muscle; it just stood and blocked his already-visionless path. "Hello? Little boy or girl, are you lost in the forest? Uh, don't be scared by my appearance! I won't hurt you!"

The figure didn't reply. Donnie opened his mouth to address it again when he saw it raise its arm and beckon him forward. What did this child, or what looked like a child, want from him. It kept beckoning him forward until it suddenly turned and ran ahead in the blanket of fog. The turtle heard the soft footsteps fade out, and it prompted him to give chase to his runaway child. "Hey, wait! Don't go!"

Donnie promptly forgot about the fog and rushed through it, hoping to catch the child before he or she got away. Were they frightened of his appearance, or was this some sort of game? There was a third possibility, one that the turtle didn't consider to be credible: was this kid providing him a clue for his vision quest? Whatever the case was, it would either help him or harm him in his quest to obtain spiritual refinement, and it seemed like following a kid in endless fog would end up resulting in the latter. Just then, he managed to get out of the fog, finding himself…standing on a path on the mountain? How on earth did he get here?

"One thing about the spiritual realm…you have fast transportation." The genius turtle sighed, already worn from trying to figure all this out. "Now, where did that kid go? If this keeps up, I'll never get my vision quest completed!" He began his trek on the mountain pathway, intent on reaching the top and finding whatever was up there to find. "I just don't understand why a kid is on the mountain by themselves…and how did they disappear so fast? Unless…"

Noticing that the pathway grew thinner to the point of having to walk with his shell to the mountain rock, Donnie wondered whether or not that child could actually be a spirit; maybe his personal spirit guide like the deer drawn to Leonardo. Whatever the case, he would ask this kid himself. Around the corner of the rock and avoiding slipping off, the turtle saw small legs and sandaled feet disappearing to the other side. "H-Hey, this isn't funny! You'll fall if you're not careful!"

Before he could give further chase to the mysterious child, the rock above him suddenly trembled and sent pieces plummeting in his direction. The turtle dodged it and looked to see what caused it, only to find…Foot Soldiers? "What're they doing here!?" The soldiers hit the rock with large hammers again and sent more stones falling. "You're gonna bring the whole mountain down! Unless…you don't care if you do because you're apparitions from the spirit plane!"

More Foot Soldiers, their uniforms a violet hue instead of the standard black, came and attacked Donnie from the sides while the others kept hammering away at the mountain. He countered at every turn, trying to calculate a plan to defeat these menaces before they caused a massive landslide. And then…wait, that kid! They would get hurt as long as the Foot was here! He had to beat them before irreversible damage could be done. Ducking more pieces of the mountain, Donnie finally had enough of this.

"You want to bring half the mountain down!?" He struck the Foot grunts at his sides before leaping up on the ledge above the hammer-wielding ones and holding his axe above his head. "Fine with me!"

Donnie brought the axe down with a mighty swing, sending stones down and knocking away the Foot apparitions with ease. He let out a sigh of relief once they were gone; his quick thinking did wonders! "Huh…this vision quest is actually pretty easy! A little quick thinking fixed it, no problem! Now to find that kid and-"

The genius turtle found himself halted when the rock wall beside him burst open. The dust slowly cleared and a large figure stepped out from inside the mountain, and this figure was one he wished he could forget.

"We're just getting started." The figure spoke in an all-too-familiar tone, cracking his neck. "Let's see how quick your thinking is when I smash your head into the rocks!"

"T-Tiger Claw!?" Donnie sputtered before stepping back. "N-No, you're just a spirit! You're not real!"

He found himself proven wrong when the spiritual Tiger Claw socked him in the face and sent him backwards. He spat and wiped his mouth off as he got up and turned to face the mutant apparition, the latter glowering down at him and growling lowly. "Master Splinter wasn't kidding…this is real."

"Admit the truth, turtle: you cannot defeat me!" The spirit Tiger Claw rumbled. "You are the weakest of the group…so weak you couldn't even save your friend from falling!"

Donnie froze in place. "H-How'd you know about that?"

The spiritual tiger mutant chuckled and extended his claws. "You are an open book, Donatello. You tell Leonardo and the O'Neil girl to stop blaming themselves for the invasion and its casualties, yet you still blame yourself for that incident. That makes you a hypocrite! A hypocrite responsible for the _murder_ of his friend!"

Donnie's hands began trembling, struggling to unsheathe his axe. "S-Stop it! T-That's not true!"

"If it is not true, why aren't you trying harder to protest?" Spirit Tiger Claw goaded, stalking forward with claws ready. "Maybe it's because you KNOW it's true! You KILLED her!" He lunged forward, grabbing Donatello and slamming him into the side of the mountain several times. "Do not deny the truth any longer, weakling!"

Once the spirit let him go, Donnie got to his knees and held his head, the axe slipping from his grasp. Once again, the voices from his nightmares flooded his mind with that horrible chant: he killed Cheyloe. He let her fall, he did nothing to save her, and he let her _die_. He fought to think of a way to stop the chant and stop Spirit Tiger Claw, but he drew a blank. Why couldn't he think of anything? He begged his brain to work, but all that could be in his mind was that chant, causing quiet whimpers to permeate the blanket of silence.

"…I-It's true…" Donnie murmured in a broken tone. "I-I just let her fall…I didn't do anything…I was too weak to do anything…"

"Don't give up!"

Donnie opened his eyes and glanced around. That voice…it was the voice waking him from his nightmare! His eyes focused behind the apparition of Tiger Claw and locked on to the figure behind him, which turned out to resemble a young boy with messy hair. Spirit Tiger Claw payed no heed to the child, only glaring down at the kneeling turtle in contempt. Donnie couldn't tell if the child was actually a spirit or not, but something inside him told him this child was here for a reason.

"It was beyond your control!" The mysterious boy shouted. "Stop beating yourself up over it! You did everything you could! If you keep beating yourself up over it, you'll make her sad! You have to be strong, just like this mountain!"

"I did…I did everything I could…" Donnie repeated while slowly getting to his feet. "It was…an accident…it was beyond my control." He paused when Spirit Tiger Claw, now armed with HIS axe, slammed the weapon into the rock and caused a landslide. However, the genius turtle remained on a pillar of stone. Taking a deep breath, Donnie took hold of his mask and slid it over his face, leaving him unreadable to his enemy. "…Enough beating myself up…I have to be immovable."

Spirit Tiger Claw roared and leapt over to Donatello, grabbing at his hands and attempting to push him off the mountain. Donnie, however, pushed back with all his might and stood his ground, now feeling a presence behind him…the boy. If that deer was meant for Leo, then this odd child was his guardian spirit.

"I'm twice your size, and three times your strength!" Spirit Tiger Claw spat. "You. Will. FALL!"

 _Be strong, like the mountain_.

With Splinter's voice echoing in his mind, Donatello silently but swiftly used his foot to trip the mutant apparition before gathering all his strength and throwing him from the rock. The apparition fell several feet before disappearing into the fog below. The turtle stared at the scenery below, still wearing his stony mask of silence, until he caught sight of the boy near him. The child, spirit or not, wore a bright smile at his victory, and Donnie stayed silent until he gave a firm nod.

"…No more relapses in guilt. No more beating myself up…and no making her sad." The genius turtle confirmed. "Thank you."

The boy nodded, slowly disappearing into the mist. "I'll be at your side whenever you need me."

Once the child disappeared completely, Donnie stared again at the fog below, watching it slowly dissipate from view and reveal the surrounding forest and river. He couldn't explain it, but a total calm touched his spirit, and he certainly felt stronger than ever. He felt strong enough to go back and reclaim the place he always called home: New York. He would also reclaim his family, his friends, everything Shredder and the Kraang took from him and his brothers.

"…It's time to go home."

* * *

 **Aaannd...chapter over! If you guessed correctly, we're heading back to New York next! And when they get back, they'll have a few reunions with characters we've missed! As for the strange boy appearing in this chapter, his identity will be revealed later on, along with his true connection with Donnie! See you next chapter!**


	27. Return and Reunions

**Author's Note: Well, I've got this chapter sooner than I expected! It's a little shorter, but I believe it'll still be satisfactory! As you guessed it, the gang returns to New York, and we're expected to have a reunion with Splinter! We also have the return of another character this chapter, and try to guess who it is! Want to wait and find out? Well, just keep reading!**

* * *

Chapter 27: Return and Reunions

Donatello sat down on the swinging bench in the yard, cradling a cup of hot coffee in his hands and staring at April and Raph stacking belongings on the porch. He earned a break from working on turning Mr. O'Neil's Party Wagon into a Shellraiser substitute, no name changes needed, and now they prepared to head back to New York and reclaim it from the Kraang. A news report came on that morning with an obviously-mind-controlled reporter drawling on that New York was absolutely fine…what a load of crap. Once the Kraang were gone, New York would be fine, and they could rebuild their lives after finding Master Splinter and Karai.

"Everything's packed and ready to go in the wagon!" Raph called. "Let's go! Come on, Donnie!"

Donnie went on to gulp down the rest of his caffeinated drink before getting up and grabbing his Bo staff. As he went to the van, he felt something brushing up against his leg. That something turned out to be the mutated chicken, Dr. Cluckingsworth. The big-brained fowl looked up at him and clucked at him with what sounded like a farewell; she helped so much with the Speed Demon incident and even with tapping into April's psychic powers. Smiling, he knelt down and gave Dr. Cluckingsworth a hug. " _Arrivederci_ , Dr. Cluckingsworth."

Raph happened to walk by the two and muttered a nonchalant, "You two sicken me."

Once Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Casey had everything in the wagon, April took the opportunity to turn towards the farmhouse and give a sentimental sigh. "Goodbye, old farmhouse…maybe we'll be back."

Donnie came and put a hand to her shoulder, ushering her to get in the passenger's seat of the wagon before Casey started it up. With newly-installed weapons ready, and the Turtle Racer on a trailer on-hand if needed, the turtles hopped into the back and prepared to go home. The wagon slowly pulled out of the yard of the farmhouse, with Dr. Cluckingsworth and the other hens bidding them farewell. Setting off early that morning would allow them to reach New York by nightfall, and they all hoped things wouldn't be even worse by the time they arrived.

"Hey, Donnie." Leo spoke up. "You never really did tell us what happened on your vision quest. Did you fight an apparition of the Foot Clan, too?"

Donnie stared at his eldest brother in silence until he nodded his head. "I fought a spirit of Tiger Claw…representing how I felt weaker to the rest of you strength-wise. I was ready to give up because he kept reminding me of what happened to Cheyloe, and the guilt I felt from it. But…I had a little help." He unexpectedly smiled and inquired, "Leo, you know how that deer spirit seemed drawn to you?"

"Well…yeah. Why?" Leo asked, clearly confused.

"It looks like I had my own guardian spirit that day, too."

Mikey suddenly whined and crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks in annoyance. "How come me and Raph don't have guardian spirits? We're cool enough to have 'em!"

Raph flicked his baby brother on the back of the head. "Quit complainin' about it, Mikey! It won't magically give you a 'guardian spirit'!"

* * *

As predicted, the group reached the toll gate to New York by nightfall. They didn't predict that the Earth Protection Force would be there guarding it AND be under the influence of the mind-control devices created by the Kraang. Fortunately for them, Casey decided to take charge and literally charge through the gate and into the city. Inside it, to their shock, almost everyone in New York just…disappeared. April used her psychic powers to find everyone and could only detect a few hundred people, probably those who managed to avoid being mutated. That didn't give them much reassurance, especially since she didn't detect Splinter or Karai…in fact, she didn't even detect her father, or Casey's family, or even Anna and Kaitlyn. She hoped those two managed to escape the city somehow, and that Casey's family escaped, too.

There was still one place left to check…the lair.

While avoiding Kraang guards and MOUSERS, April suddenly began detecting Splinter…only something wasn't right about him. Donatello remembered when their sensei visited them in spirit that he told them his spirit became separated from his spirit. That possibly meant his mind-his humanity-became lost after their departure, leaving him crazy or who knows what else. Now here he was, looking around with Leonardo and Raphael for any trace of their father in their ruined home. Getting past a Kraang defense drone, Donnie went into his lab and found something in the ajar desk drawer…the folded piece of paper with Chey's number and email address.

For some reason, that made him think of a strange noise he heard while they drove through the deserted streets. The others didn't seem to pay mind to it, but he swore he heard the muffled sound of a gunshot, possibly from a hunting or sniper rifle. Maybe a member of the EPF broke from Kraang control and went on a mission to take them out, or…no, that couldn't be it. Who would be crazy enough to take on the Kraang all by themselves with just a rifle? Whoever they were, they were either really brave, really stupid, or secretly had a death wish to fulfill.

"Donnie, did you find anything?" Raph asked, entering the trashed lab.

The genius turtle quickly stuffed the piece of paper in his belt and shook his head. "Nothing…no sign of Sensei or Karai. We'd better get out of here before that drone comes back."

"I agree. We'd better find someplace ta stay for shelter tonight." The temperamental turtle nodded. "Let's get back ta Mikey an' the others an' go."

The two turtles found Leo glancing around in Splinter's private room, his tatami still in place but the Cheese Phone knocked askew. The lead turtle held the sacred photo of human Splinter, Tang Shen, and baby Miwa in his hand and stared into the room with grief. As much as Donnie wanted to share in his brother's sadness, they couldn't; they had to get out now. Raph quietly led Leo out of the dojo and to one of the exits out of the lair and into the sewer tunnels, Donnie following closely behind. They returned to Mikey, April, and Casey, who looked ready to go in and drag them out themselves.

"Find anything, dudes?" The freckled turtle asked with hope.

"No sign of Sensei, or Karai." Leo replied softly. "We'd better go before the Kraang find us-"

April suddenly groaned and clutched her head, hunching over. "G-Guys…I sense Splinter!" Images began flashing in her mind, but not of the Splinter she knew. Instead, all she could envision was a dangerous and feral mutant rat, devoid of humanity. "He's nearby! Let's go!"

The turtles and humans bolted for one of the larger tunnels, leading to a giant drainage pool the turtles used to explore years ago. Now when they entered it, they found several MOUSERS being torn to pieces by…Master Splinter? The rat revealed to be stripped down to his undergarments and on all fours while he attacked the MOUSERS, hissing and spitting at them. Once the last robot went down, Splinter's gaze landed on the turtles and humans, causing him to hiss and lunge for them…well, for Casey. The turtles quickly grabbed the rat and did their best to restrain him, hoping it would snap him out of his feral state.

"Snap out of it, Sensei!" Donatello begged. "It's us! Your sons!"

Splinter still fought hard against his family, but Leo held him by his side and demanded, "Sensei, calm down! Just calm down!" Once Splinter became too tired to fight back, drooping his ears, the lead turtle added in a calmer tone, "We're not going to hurt you. It's going to be okay, Sensei…"

Leo didn't realize that it wasn't going to be okay. Right then, a MOUSER that wasn't trashed, got back on its feet and scanned the group, the latter realizing it too late. The robot immediately sounded an alarm via loud screech, which ended up summoning a group of Foot Bots from the upper pipes. The Foot Bots surrounded the group, and they immediately knew who these robots intended to take them to…Oroku Saki. Before the turtles could draw their weapons, Splinter immediately broke away and began attempting to fight the Foot Bots. The robots instantly had the upper hand when they proceeded to taser him, rendering him docile and easy to capture.

"Sensei!" Raph shouted, being held back by Mikey and Donnie. "We gotta save him! They're gonna kill 'im!"

"We won't let that happen, Raph." Leo assured, watching the Foot Bots leave with their father. "We're following them and getting him back before Shredder hurts him…that's for sure. Come on, everyone, let's go!"

The turtles, April, and Casey immediately tailed behind the Foot Bots, but made sure they did it from the shadows. One false move, and they would all be captured alongside Splinter, leaving Shredder knowing they were still alive and allowing him to do who-knows-what to them. If anything, he would focus on Splinter and hurt him over Karai's mutation. But they wouldn't allow that to happen…they wouldn't be separated from their father and sensei ever again.

* * *

Donatello admitted to himself that he was thoroughly impressed with Baxter Stockman's new lab. Well, he didn't like that massive globe of mutagen and sections that resembled suffocating terrariums, but he found himself envious for a split-second. His admiration for science needed to be pushed aside now, because they had to rescue Splinter AND keep Stock-Fly from sounding the alarm and alerting the Foot. Fueled by a rage of having to see his father treated like a common animal and taunted with food, he and his brothers readied themselves to take the mutant fly down for good.

Too bad they had to deal with three new, powerful mutants.

Stockman must've kept a reserve of Shredder's mutagen for testing, because these mutants had clear resemblance to the armored assassin combined with crustaceans. The biggest one had four arms and looked to be part-crab, the taller one had massive lobster claws, and the smallest was figuratively and literally a shrimp. They looked…weird, but that didn't make them any less dangerous. So they turtles had to fend them off while April attempted to telepathically restore Splinter's humanity and have Casey protect her. Mikey was given the special duty of keeping Stock-Fly from sounding the alarm.

The turtles were on the losing end, Leo already having one of his katanas broken, Raph about to be torn apart, and Donnie having his face mauled…when it happened. To their great relief, each of them were rescued by none-other than Splinter, humanity restored and a ninja again. The rat pummeled the Shredder mutants one-by-one, throwing them into a fan below to have them chopped into pâté ingredients. Once the turtles saw their father calm and smiling at them, they wasted no time in enveloping him in a group hug.

"My sons…how I've missed you so much." Splinter spoke before looking at April and Casey. "Along with the rest of my family."

"I can't believe it…" Donnie breathed out, a relieved smile on his face. "You're actually alive, Sensei…you're actually alive."

"Do believe it, Donatello." Splinter chuckled, hugging his genius son closer. "I will not be going anywhere for a long time."

As the turtles and humans shared the bliss of the reunion with the rat, another voice spoke in a disgusted tone, "So…the turtles live. And the rat thinks like a man again."

Up above them, the group saw none-other than Shredder, accompanied by Tiger Claw and several Foot Bots. The armored ninja glowered down at them in contempt, which caused Splinter to growl out and ready his fists to beat the man who stole and mutated his daughter. Before he could do anything rash, Leonardo held his arm in front of him and shook his head. The rat gave a nod and crossed his arms behind his back. "Yes…now is not the time to fight."

With that, Michelangelo threw a smoke bomb down, allowing the group to escape to the Party Wagon. Their getaway through the tunnels wasn't without complications, as Tiger Claw ambushed them and attempted to break through the windshield. Fortunately, they were prepared…with a deer-head that could shoot flames. Thanks to that handy contraption, courtesy of Donatello himself, the tiger mutant retreated. The Party Wagon finally reached the Kraang-crystal-infested streets of New York as the group now planned on where their shelter would be.

"Where do we go now?" Mikey asked, looking at the others. "We don't have a home to go back to…"

"Homes are transitory." Splinter assured, a smile on his muzzle. "What matters most is that we are together again."

Leonardo glanced down, wearing a somber expression. "We still need a place to hang our masks, Sensei. Question is…where?"

Donnie placed a hand to his chin. "Well, there's the old power plant, or maybe an abandoned subway tunnel…or even…"

"Donnie, yer not about ta suggest we go breaking into Cheyloe's apartment, are ya?" Raph inquired in skepticism. "Sure, she's not there, but that's still breaking in…and the Kraang would easily find us there."

"Wait dudes…" The freckled turtle spoke, standing up and grinning. "I know just the place we can go! It's perfect!"

The temperamental turtle rolled his eyes. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

Just as Raphael suspected, or feared actually, the shelter Michelangelo had in mind was none-other than the abandoned Antonio's Pizza pizzeria. The place looked like it had seen better days since the owner, Antonio, disappeared; Mikey suggested some crazy idea that he mutated into a pizza creature and tried to turn everyone into calzones. It was also cramped compared to the lair, but the Kraang wouldn't exactly suspect it to be a hideout…so it would have to do. At least they had equipment to prepare meals, and Donnie found a path underground that led straight to the lair so they could gather supplies. Leo, Raph, and Casey took said path to gather some of their possessions, leaving Mikey, April, Splinter, and Donnie to get the place clean and at least make it livable. Easier said than done for Donnie.

"Donatello." Splinter addressed, walking up to his son. "You seem troubled…would you like to talk about it?"

Donnie bit on his lip before staring out the window and letting out a sigh. Typical, Splinter caught him standing away from the others and being deep in thought. Of course, this was his father…why wouldn't he be concerned? "Don't get me wrong, Sensei…it's so wonderful to be reunited with you and even being back in New York. It's just…I still feel like I'm missing something and I can't shake it."

The rat's ears drooped slightly. "…April has informed me of what happened to Miss Doggett…I am sorry, my son. I am glad, however, that you no longer carry the guilt associated with the incident."

"I know…but I still miss her." The genius turtle argued, staring out the window of the pizzeria and noticing a Kraang soldier in the distance. "I just hope our other friends managed to escape being mutated…or worse"

The rat stared out the window alongside his son, watching the alien soldier with caution, until something caught them both by surprise: something struck the Kraang Droid and caused it to go down. Donnie heard a sound to accompany it and felt his blood run cold…it was the same gunshot noise from earlier. So…someone WAS playing sniper against the Kraang. Judging from the trajectory of the bullet, this mysterious wannabe hero wasn't far, and something inside the purple-masked turtle told him he had to investigate now.

"I'm sorry Sensei, but I'm going to check that out!" Donnie spoke, grabbing his Bo staff and heading for the back door. "I'll be back!"

Splinter immediately tried to grab his son, but was too late. "Donatello, come back this instant!"

Before the others could see him, Donnie was out the door and immediately heading for the rooftops, being sure to avoid any of the Kraang hovercrafts. It wasn't that he wanted to stop this shooter from taking down anymore Kraang, it was that he wanted to prevent them from getting KILLED by the Kraang for playing heroics. Even if he had to drag this person away kicking and screaming, he wouldn't let another person have their life smothered out. He pulled his telescope out of his belt and glanced at the rooftops through it. About three rooftops away, he found the mystery sniper crouched down behind the edge of the roof and holding a hunting rifle.

"Found you." He murmured to himself, putting the telescope away and moving out. "Time to see who you are."

The genius turtle kept low as he rushed the rooftops, avoiding the attention of the Kraang Droids on the streets below. He also hid a few times behind air conditioning units and water towers to avoid surveillance drones and stealth ships, but was no-less determined. If this person managed to survive this long hunting Kraang, he gave kudos to them for their skills…but even those skills wouldn't last long, and he figured they knew it, too. Finally, the turtle reached the rooftop housing the mysterious sharpshooter and stood far from them, coming to full stance.

"Hey, you!" He called out, eyes narrowed. "I'm not saying I don't condone what you do, but you're being awful reckless to take the Kraang on by yourself! So just come with me and I'll give you shelter! Don't even think about screaming at me, either!"

Donnie noticed the sharpshooter seemingly freeze at the sound of his voice, and he watched them slowly stand up. To his surprise, they dropped the rifle onto the rooftop before slowly turning around. The figure's face stayed hidden, thanks to the hood on their tattered jacket pulled all the way over their head. Strange…he didn't know why, but there was something about that jacket that struck him as familiar. Where had he seen it before? And why was this person suddenly trembling?

"…D-Donnie?"

Donatello froze in an instant. That voice…it couldn't be. It was impossible…there was no way. He watched in stunned silence as the figure took hold of their hood and pulled it down to reveal their face. The genius turtle stared in shock at the reveal, feeling his lips quiver as tears streamed down his cheeks. Without warning, he let out a strangled sob as he rushed forward and enveloped the figure in a hug. Even with her hair longer and her face scuffed up, there was no mistaking it.

"…Cheyloe…" He whimpered, burying his snout into the crook of her neck. "C-Cheyloe, you're alive…"

Cheyloe laughed as tears flooded from her eyes, her arms wrapped around Donnie in a relieved embrace. "Donnie…I can't believe it! You're okay…you're back…"

Sniffling and wiping his tears away with her hood, he mumbled, "Chey, I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry for leaving you behind…I was so scared I'd lost you forever!"

"Donnie, I was never angry with you…" The brunette assured in a soothing tone. "I'm just glad you're okay!"

The two finished their tearful reunion when a Kraang surveillance drone neared them, prompting them to hide underneath a water tower for a moment. Once the drone passed to another building, the duo stepped out and made sure the coast was totally clear.

"Come on, I've got a place of shelter." Donnie whispered, taking her hand. "Let's get you to safety."

"Hold on a sec…" Cheyloe broke away and grabbed her rifle, putting it in the sling on her back. "Can't leave without this, Donnie. All right, let's go before we're spotted!"

The two dashed across the rooftops, and Donnie made sure this time to be closer to Chey's side and avoid a repeat of the invasion. He thought about that mysterious boy he encountered during his vision quest, and how he said not to make 'her' sad. Did he actually know she was still alive? Why didn't he tell him? Maybe he wanted to be sure the turtle learned the lesson of that quest without backtracking from it. He definitely wouldn't backtrack from that lesson, but he was just glad his friend turned out to be alive and well. Just how did she survive? For Donnie, it all came down to one thing: a miracle.

Once they arrived at the back door of the pizzeria, Donnie expected to get chewed out by Splinter, maybe even Leo. When he opened the door, he underestimated his thinking…EVERYONE was there, looking displeased and ready to bite his head off. But he could take it, especially with the news he had to bring.

"Donatello, what were you thinking!?" Splinter interrogated, whiskers twitching. "I expected much more rationality from you, my son!"

"Donnie, are you crazy!?" Leo spat. "You could've gotten captured out there!"

"F-Forget about that!" The purple-masked turtle insisted, holding up trembling hands. "Y-You guys…you won't believe who I found!" Right then, he stepped in and stepped aside to reveal their guest. He watched as she slowly entered the room and gave an awkward wave. "Look…"

The blue-masked turtle's eyes instantly widened. "Cheyloe!? You're...you're acutally alive!"

Raph's arms dropped to his sides and his jaw hung open. "Holy crap, I can't believe it…"

At that moment, Mikey ran forward and wrapped the brunette in a bear-hug. "Chey, you're okay! It's a miracle, everybody!"

"M-Mikey, you can let go now." Chey choked out, forcing a grin. "I'd really like to be able to breathe right about now, okay?"

Once the orange-masked turtle let her go, it was Splinter's turn to marvel at her being alive and well. The rat stepped forward, ignoring that he was still without a robe, and addressed, "Miss Doggett…it is good to see you alive. I am glad we are reunited with at least one of our loved ones in this dark time."

It was then April stepped forward, ignoring the cheeky grin Casey gave the brunette to stare at the young woman. Ignoring any awkwardness, she cleared her throat and stated, "Cheyloe…thank God, you're okay. It's been awful without you and the others. You…you haven't seen my dad, have you?"

Cheyloe's smile disappeared, and she sadly shook her head. "No…I'm guessing he was one of the people who got mutated? I haven't seen many at all. Most are gone, but there's some barricaded in random alleys in the city. I didn't find your dad's scent on any of them."

"What about Karai?" Leo questioned with concern. "Did you see her?"

"I was with her during the first two weeks after the invasion, but I don't know where she is now. I just hope she made it out, maybe found Anna and Kaitlyn…"

"Guys, stop overwhelming her with questions!" Donnie demanded, attempting to shoo everyone away. "Let her get acclimated! It's been a long night, and I believe some rest is in order!" He turned to the brunette and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry about this…it's been a long, LONG night."

Cheyloe just chuckled, wearing a soft smile and brushing back some of her messy hair. "It's fine…I'm just glad to see everyone again." Her eyes suddenly narrowed and her smile disappeared as she stared out the window and saw many Kraang Droids. "But things won't be totally fine until New York is Kraang-free."

"Don't worry…we're working on that." The genius turtle assured as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "What's most important now is that you're safe with us. I have to ask, though…how did you manage to make it out?"

The brunette just stepped forward and enveloped him in another hug, resting her head against his plastron with a sigh. "Let's get some rest, and I'll tell you in the morning. Even with your mask on, I can see the bags under your eyes!"

"Hey, they're not that bad!" Donnie argued, until he touched his fingers to the edges of his mask. "…Are they?"

As the two kept exchanging comments about a need for rest, April watched them from one of the tables in the pizzeria. She honestly still felt disappointed that her dad wasn't recovered, even more that they had no leads on where he or the other people were. Still, at least they scored two small victories tonight…they had Splinter and Cheyloe back. So the redhead found herself smiling at the playful banter going back and forth between the genius turtle and the brunette.

"So…" Raph waltzed up to the redhead and leaned over the table, wearing a smug grin and joining her in watching Donnie and Chey. "Yer not turnin' green with envy, are you, Ape?"

April immediately snorted. "Of course not, hothead. I'm happy for Donnie…and things are cool between us."

* * *

 **And look, Cheyloe's alive and well! If you're wondering exactly how she survived that fall, just wait until the next chapter! That chapter will also introduce a familiar group of mutants while Donnie and Chey have some catching up to do. Until then, stay tuned!**


	28. Reclaiming What Was Lost

**Author's Note: Here we have a pretty long chapter, since I wanted to cover Battle for New York, but it should still be entertaining nonetheless! We'll certainly have some more characters returning, so that's something to look forward to, along with some Donnie and Cheyloe moments! At this moment, I would like to address a recent anon who left a pretty passive-aggressive review on my last chapter. I'm not doing this because I can't handle criticism; if you find something I need to improve on, please tell me because I want to improve and keep improving on areas.**

 **Anyway, to this anon...I don't believe you when you said you read the story. If you actually read the story, you would've caught onto moments where Donnie actually does comfort the others. And you know what? He's going to be doing even more of that, because the story's not over yet! And if you bothered to read my Author's Notes, you would've read that I'll be adding missing pieces and stuff on the other characters in my story 'Turtle Dove Tidbits'. I don't have proof, but I've seen some other anonymous reviews on other Donnie-centric stories where you basically insult the author's writing in a passive-aggressive way because the choice of words is VERY similar. Once again, I don't have proof because you cleverly used the guest option. There's a difference between actual constructive criticism and just being insulting and passive-aggressive. So if I have a bias towards Donnie, you clearly have a bias AGAINST Donnie, because I've seen similar reviews ONLY on Donnie-centric stories. So you either skimmed over the story, or didn't read it at all.**

 **Anyway, that rant's over, so enjoy the story!**

* * *

Chapter 28: Reclaiming What Was Lost

Donatello wasn't exactly a fan of instant coffee. To him, the instant coffee that came in the plastic containers or small tins tasted like salt and bleach. He couldn't afford to be picky right now, as this type of coffee was the only kind available in the abandoned pizzeria's kitchen, along with some stale powdered creamer. He could smell a pizza in the nearby oven, courtesy of Michelangelo, and saw Leonardo and Raphael watching the small television brought from the lair. In other words, time to rest after everything that happened this week…and time to catch up on things with Cheyloe.

"Donnie, you're not still disappointed your retromutagen didn't work on Karai, are you?" The brunette asked, staring at him from her own cup of coffee.

The genius turtle shook his head, begrudgingly taking a sip of his drink. "Not really. I figured it wouldn't work, since she's considered a 'special' mutant." He glanced over at Leo and added, "I just hope she didn't get captured by those crazy new mutants."

"New mutants…you mean those guys Zeck and Steranko, right? Wait, Mikey now calls them Bebop and Rocksteady." Chey corrected herself. "And here I thought guys like that Rahzar and Fishface were enough of a threat to us."

She was correct in that statement. When they first tracked down the still-mutated Karai across the city, the turtles found she was also pursued by Anton Zeck and Ivan Steranko; maybe they wanted to use her as a bargaining chip against Shredder after that Kuro Kabuto incident. Then, when Donnie created enough retromutagen for three doses, they once again attempted to find the kunoichi when they ran into the duo again…only to find them mutated into a humanoid warthog and humanoid rhinoceros. After everyone except Leo and Mikey got captured, they had a final showdown with Bebop and Rocksteady on Coney Island's amusement park, with the turtles coming out on top.

Unfortunately, as he feared, the retromutagen didn't work on Karai, and she used what humanity she had left to tell the goodbye. Needless to say, the one most devastated was Leonardo, and they all went back to the pizzeria without saying much. Of course, that devastation passed on to Splinter, and no one said anything for the rest of the night. One thing was for certain in Donnie's case…talking to Cheyloe almost always helped him feel better.

"Even if the retromutagen doesn't work on Karai, that doesn't mean it won't work on the Kraangitized people of New York." Donnie concluded with narrowed auburn eyes. "We just have to figure out where they've went to and use it on them…then we can get rid of the Kraang."

The turtle paused when he felt a slightly-calloused hand rest on top of his, causing him to look up and into Chey's blue-green eyes. Thanks to April and a pair of scissors they fetched from the lair, her hair returned to its short length, apart from the bangs on her right side. She also started putting weight back on; she lost too much during all those months, by his conclusion. Staring into her eyes and the face he missed for all those months made him warm up inside, even though it felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

"I have faith in you, Donnie." Chey assured, her voice soft. "You'll get everyone back…I held onto that believe for close to five months and I still have that belief now." Her gaze suddenly shifted in Leo's direction, watching him sitting with his knees to his plastron. "I hate seeing Leo like this…Splinter, too. It's bad enough Karai's mutated, but knowing that her mind's going along with it…" She suddenly cleared her throat and forced a smile. "Why don't we talk about something that'll lift our spirits? So, did you and April get closer up at that farmhouse?"

Chuckling at the wink she gave and playfully shoving her shoulder, Donnie replied, "Well, we did get closer, it's just not in the way you think. Cheyloe, I, uh…I ended my pursuit of April. I thought about what you told me the time we met, and I made the decision to not try and woo her anymore."

The brunette almost dropped her cup at that declaration. "D-Donnie, when I said that, I never meant for you to quit on your crush. I just wanted you to look at it from a different angle and keep from getting hurt, that's all. I-I just…"

"Whoa, wait Cheyloe. You didn't totally influence my decision…you made me look at the situation differently." The purple-masked turtle explained. "All this time I've pursued her, I never really took her feelings into consideration or thought of what was in her best interest. An incident happened, and it made me realize I cared more about the strong friendship we have instead of a silly crush. So…we're going to work on being the best friends we can be, and I'm sticking with my decision."

Chey tried to think of an argument, still feeling guilty for possibly destroying Donnie's hopes of love in the future, but came up with nothing that would work. "Donnie…if this decision makes you happy, then I shouldn't complain. Whoever it is that's meant to be with you, I believe you'll find them. Maybe not now, but someday."

"Thanks, Chey. Well, I should probably get back to work on that new batch of retromutagen." As he got up from the table, he leaned forward and gave the brunette a hug around her shoulders. "…I missed talking with you so much."

"…Me too." She replied quietly, returning the embrace. "It's so good to have you guys back…"

Once the genius turtle disappeared to the back room, aka his makeshift lab, Cheyloe gathered up the cups and went to go wash them. As she got ready to run hot water and grab the dish detergent, a presence behind her made her stop and curl her nose. "Raphael, when was the last time you had a shower?"

"What…what makes ya think I smell that bad?" Once he saw her tap her nose, his expression relaxed. Right…superhuman sense of smell. "A-Anyway, uh, well…thanks for talkin' with Donnie. It wasn't easy for 'im up at th' farmhouse, ya know? But I'm sure he told ya all about it…and all the stuff with Leo bein' depressed about 'is knee, me takin' up the mantle of leader, and all the crazy mutants we saw."

"Honestly, I wouldn't be here talking to him if it wasn't for the guy that saved me." Chey admitted, turning in the red-masked turtle's direction. "I was with Karai in the sewers, and we got ambushed by those Kraang or whatever they're called. Karai got away, but I got shot…then I was saved by another mutant. I don't know if you guys know him, but he wasn't as bad as I thought he was…"

"Was?" Raph repeated, clearly confused. "Wait, big and bluish? He, uh, didn't happen ta have a spiky shell and wear a black mask, did he?"

"Why do you ask?"

"N-No reason!" Raph sputtered as he shuffled his way to the back room of the pizzeria. "I'm gonna go check up on Donnie…just don't stay up too late, okay? Yer the nurse, after all."

One the red-masked turtle disappeared, Cheyloe decided to make herself comfortable on the couch in the middle of the diner, both to watch the others and to be alone with her thoughts. She still felt, to put it lightly, overwhelmed over having Donatello and his brothers back in the deserted city, along with it being a miracle that she could be with them again. Yet she knew the family wasn't whole…Karai remained at-large and April and Casey still needed their families. Plus, Anna and Kaitlyn were both alive and well, or mutated with the rest of the New York populace. Finally, why did Raph know those details about the mutant that found her in the sewers? It could wait until morning, so maybe she could help Mikey in the kitchen.

Wait…where did Mikey go? She saw him finishing up on that pizza, then going into the back room where Donnie had his lab and-

Uh-oh.

* * *

Donatello truly believed that his baby brother ruined months of hard work tonight. After taking a nap, he awoke to find Mikey and Ice Cream Kitty messing with his chemicals and intending to add their bizarre concoction to his retromutagen. Despite his best efforts, a drop of the blue mixture landed in the antidote, potentially ruining it. However, beyond all belief, Mikey's concoction actually perfected the retromutagen. Too bad the dingbat couldn't remember the exact chemicals he added in the first place, which to Donnie made it feel like a total butt-pull. He would overlook it for now, as the true focus had to be on storming Dimension X, rescuing the mutated citizens, and putting the Kraang back where they belonged. He thought it would be a simple mission; he just had to get to his newly-made Turtle Blimp and go from there.

He didn't count on having to rescue a human couple from a group of Kraang. He also didn't expect to see who came to _their_ rescue.

The Kraang had them outnumbered, ordering them to surrender, but Leo decided they would fight to the death. Even with the odds against them, they'd still go down trying. Without warning, what looked like a loaf of bread fell in front of the Kraang, followed by…was that Pigeon Pete? The pigeon mutant sported some sort of army helmet and began tackling the Kraang Droids to the ground. The surprises just kept coming, too, because the next one on the scene turned out to be the one and only Leatherhead, bashing a few droids together like a wild animal. While the alligator busied himself with tearing the alien robots apart, Donnie saw what looked like the long-lost Dr. Rockwell, aka Monkey Brains, levitating on the scene. The once-human-monkey sported an odd helmet and cuffs, using them to send psionic blasts at the aliens.

But the one that topped them all…was the arrival of Slash.

Donnie still felt sore from the time he got attacked by Raph's pet-turned-monstrous-mutant, even when the latter made amends during the Newtralizer incident. However, seeing Leatherhead, Dr. Rockwell, and even Pigeon Pete by his side and fighting the Kraang blew his mind; what was Slash up to this time? Once the aliens were sent running, the turtles expected the other mutants to somehow turn on them…instead, Slash approached them like they were long-lost family members, along with the other mutants. Whatever conversation they intended to have, it ended up being taken to the rooftops. So far, the only one visibly on-edge about the whole deal was Leonardo, and perhaps for good reason, too.

"Raphael! It's good to see you again, brother!" Slash greeted, bumping fists with the red-masked turtle before addressing the others. "The rest of you, too. I'd like you to meet my team, dedicated to fighting the Kraang scourge: The Mighty Mutantimals! You've already met my second-in-command."

"Leatherhead!" Michelangelo cheered, running to the alligator and hugging him.

The alligator chuckled, returning the embrace as gently as his massive arms could allow. "It's good to see you too, my friend…all of you."

Donnie stared over at Dr. Rockwell, who busied himself with picking bugs off his arm for consumption. The mutant chimp finally looked over and spoke in an annoyed drawl, "And what, dear boy, are you staring at?"

"…Dr. Rockwell?"

"Indeed." The former doctor confirmed, bugging his eyes out for emphasis. "The Kraang experimented on me, giving me psychic powers and accidentally restoring my vast intellect." Rockwell paused before flashing an amused smirk and glancing at his leader. "It seems as though he's gotten giddy over seeing our medic again. I'm surprised his thoughts aren't revolving around that red-headed girl like usual."

"Medic?" Donnie questioned, his eyes slowly lighting up at the realization. "Wait, could you be talking about-"

"And lastly, our team spy: Pigeon Pete!" Slash stated, showing off the mutant pigeon as the latter attempted to look tough. "He also operates as a decoy when the job's needed."

Leo offered an indignant snort and crossed his arms. "Decoy? Spy? More like bait, if you ask me."

"Uh, Leo? Pot, kettle, black." Donnie sniped before he turned his attention back to the Mutanimals. He honestly lost count of how many times the blue-masked turtle used him and Mikey as bait for the Kraang or Foot. "So wait, tell me about this medic you have, is she-"

"Well, if we're going to share that information with you, you'll have to come and meet our benefactor first." Slash made clear, rolling his eyes at Donnie's insistence. "Still good at pestering for info as usual, aren't you, Donatello? Never ceases to amaze me…"

The lead turtle suddenly stepped forward. "Just a minute, Slash…why should we even trust you? You tried to take us all out in order to get Raph on your side! You even tried to _strangle_ Donnie and left him out of commission AND missing for a week! Then you teamed up with Newtralizer and nearly nuked part of New York!"

"It wasn't my fault!" The monstrous turtle retorted as he clutched his head. "It had to be the mutagen…it messed with my head, and made me do things I still regret."

Leo wasn't fully convinced, and the others knew that. Still, they didn't have much of a choice but to trust Slash, since they both had a common enemy in the Kraang. Plus, if they wanted him and his brothers to meet this 'benefactor' so bad, then it was possible the benefactor was someone they were acquainted with. Clearly, Donnie really wanted to confirm the identity of the 'medic', but as he opened his mouth to reply, he thought he felt an ominous presence behind them. Turning around, there was nothing, so the genius turtle figured his nerves were just frazzled from taking in this recent development. Donnie ended up rolling his eyes at both the glares exchanged between Leo and Slash along with the smugness emanating from Dr. Rockwell; and people thought HE was smug. Once this whole Kraang mess was dealt with properly, he'd take that monkey down a peg or two in the intellect department.

Shame that he didn't realize his feelings about an ominous presence were correct, because right behind the turtles and Mutanimals was a lone Kraang spy drone.

It took some time for travel, as they all had to be careful to avoid the droids and MOUSERS, but the Mutanimals ushered the puzzled turtles into a dark, abandoned warehouse on the lower side of town. Something didn't settle with them; was this actually a trap and the mutants worked for the Kraang the whole time? If that were true with Slash and Leatherhead, Raph and Mikey would be utterly devastated. Watching the Mutanimals scatter didn't help alleviate that suspicion in the least, and the turtles found a bright light shining upon them, along with a silhouette in the middle of it. They expected maybe one of those dead-faced human Kraang Droids ambushing them, but instead, they saw a face long-absent from their eyes.

"…Kurtzman?" Leo asked in bewilderment.

"Greetings, Turtles! Long time, no see!" The investigative reporter welcomed, ushering them closer.

"But…you're not mutated!" The blue-masked turtle gaped. "How did you…"

Kurtzman held his hand up, indicating to Leo to be quiet and let him explain. "When this invasion started, I tried looking for the four of you, but all of you were gone. I was almost captured and mutated, but thanks to the leader of these noble warriors, I escaped."

Leo crossed his arms and sneered. "I wouldn't exactly call the leader 'noble'."

Before Slash could start an argument with whom he considered his rival, the reporter kept on talking. "He wasn't alone, though. He came from the sewers holding a young woman who barely survived a Kraang attack. Poor girl…already had broken bones and got shot in the stomach, too. We had limited resources, but once the other Mutanimals came along and helped out, she got back on her feet and agreed to help us."

"Tell me something, Kurtzman." Donnie piped up. "Does this young woman happened to be named Cheyloe?"

"Actually, yes." Kurtzman nodded. "Cheyloe Doggett, a nurse at the local hospital. And a superhuman, to boot! So far, we haven't been able to locate the other two superhumans…Anna Wells and Kaitlyn Leisman. But right now, getting rid of the Kraang is top priority…because right now, they're planning something BIG."

"And how big are we talkin'?" Raph questioned. "Like another-invasion-big?"

Rockwell shook his head. "No, you ruffian! It's far, _far_ worse than their invasion of New York. You might as well show them the evidence, Kurtzman."

At that, Kurtzman pulled out a remote and aimed it at a slide projector, turning it on and flashing a set of pictures on the wall. All of them, save for one with some strange lizard woman, centered on a Kraang-styled missile, but what that missile had in it remained a mystery to the turtles. "The Kraang are planning on launching a mutagen missile tonight. It has enough mutagen inside of it to mutate the world three times over, and they'll be launching it from Bleaker. The Mutanimals planned on stopping the missile, but we would need more man-I mean, mutant power to pull it off. One team needs to stop the Kraang guarding the control pad, and another needs to hack into the missile and send it into the sun…so that's where you come in, Turtles."

"Wait, what?" The lead turtle spouted. "Okay, I'm all for stopping the Kraang from mutating the rest of the world, but I'm not working alongside a psychotic killer like _him_." He pointed over to Slash to emphasize his point.

"I'm no longer like that, Leonardo!" Slash argued, clenching his hands into fists. "Why can't you accept that people can change!?"

"Leo, dude, please…" Mikey begged. "Don't be like that…we can trust the Mutanimals, right guys? Leatherhead trusts him, so we can, too!"

"Yeah Leo, lay off 'a Slash!" Raph retorted forcefully. "Hey, you were the one who was adamant Karai could change, right? Why can't ya make an exception for Slash!? Donnie, say yer piece, too!"

As the genius turtle opened his mouth to reply, a loud booming noise kept him from saying his side of the argument and either backing up or turning against Leo. To their horror, that boom turned out to be caused by a group of Kraang Droids; how did they even track them here? Donnie froze for a split-second when he made the connection with that bad feeling earlier; they WERE being followed!

"Kraang is here to capture the ones known as the Turtles, the ones known as the Mighty Mutanimals, and the one known as Jack Kurtzman."

"They found us!" Slash roared, now wielding his massive mace. "Mutanimals, attack!"

Not wanting to be outdone by Slash and to prove himself right, Leo pointed a katana at the aliens and cried out, "Turtles, let's go!"

Both the Turtles and Mutanimals engaged with the alien foes, this time a challenge thanks to the inclusion of the ape-like Biotroids. Great, why don't they just send a Kraathatrogon with them too, while they're at it? Nevertheless, both groups of mutants put up a good fight against the aliens while working to shield Kurtzman and whatever info they needed on the latest Kraang plot. The man in question went over to his desk and frantically went to grab what looked like a flash drive when a stray blast from a Kraang Droid hit him, sending him down quick.

"KURTZMAN!" All mutants shouted in horror.

The Kraang went too far, as they did many times before, and now they would pay. At least Leo and Slash had something in common for once when they both charged at the aliens in a fury. The other turtles and mutants also put a brutal beat-down on all the aliens, even the Biotroids. Just before the remaining Kraang were ready to return the favor, with the use of a grenade-like object in one droid's hand, all were blown away by part of the warehouse wall being thrown on top of them. The Kraang inside the crushed suits wouldn't survive, but that didn't seem to matter to the mutants and whoever threw the wall.

"Let me tell ya one thing…I _hate_ aliens."

Donnie's eyes instantly lit up at the voice. Sure enough, once the dust cleared, their stood none-other than Anna and Kaitlyn, the latter cracking her knuckles and sneering. Both looked like they'd seen better days, but better that than the two being Kraangitized, as far as the Turtles were concerned. The genius turtle stepped closer and rubbed his eyes in bewilderment. "Anna, Kaitlyn, you're okay! But…how'd you know we were here?"

The dirty-blonde jerked her thumb at the ponytailed brunette. "Anna scoped all of ya out with that brain of 'ers."

"A fellow telepath, I see." Rockwell mused, scratching his chin. "And I thought the young redhead was the only one capable of such a feat."

"We can hear explanations later!" Leo interrupted, going over to pick up the fallen Kurtzman and the mysterious flash drive. "We've got to get Kurtzman some medical help and FAST!"

* * *

"…How do you think they're doing?"

Splinter looked up from his seat on the floor and laid his eyes on April. The redhead sat on the couch and fidgeted her finger in her lap, while Casey stood staring outside the window and Cheyloe readied her first-aid supplies for the worst. So far, the Turtles had been gone for close to an hour, and that meant an hour without a phone call or a knock on the back door. The rat got up and walked to the window with his arms behind his back. "I trust that they are all right, April. We must have faith in them to accomplish their mission. I believe that they are just fine, my child."

The reassurance brought a half-smile to April's face, but it didn't exactly reassure her. She couldn't help but be worried about the guys storming Dimension X by themselves, especially with the tales they told about that godforsaken place. Just when she was on the verge of going deep in thought again, the back door swung open and hushed voices could be heard.

"Is everyone all right!?" Chey asked, rushing to the door. She stopped when she saw her best friends trailing behind the Turtles, and sprung forward to hug the both of them. "Anna! Kaitlyn! You're okay!" Once the hug ended, she noticed the injured Kurtzman in Slash's hold. "Slash? What happened to Mr. Kurtzman!?"

"He got shot by the Kraang." The behemoth turtle murmured, setting the man on the sofa once it was cleared. "Don't worry, the Kraang didn't follow us here…Doc and yer friend made sure of that."

The brunette immediately went in to check on Kurtzman's wounds when she noticed something hidden in his closed fist. She gently parted his fingers and found the mysterious flash drive object, pulling it out and holding it up. "Wonder what this is?"

"It's…it contains details of the Kraang's mutagen missile plot…and a way to get into Dimension X from TCRI." Kurtzman breathed out, his eyes half-closed. "All of you…just put aside your differences so New York and its people…can be saved. I'm…we're counting on you…Turtles and Mutanimals."

Once the man finally passed out, Cheyloe sighed and reached for her first-aid kit. "You heard him…get going and stop the Kraang once and for all." She all but commanded. "I don't know what's been going on between you guys, but cut any crap and do what's important: getting New York and the citizens back. Do I make myself clear?" She noticed Leo and Slash exchanging glares and repeated, "I said, do I make myself _clear_?"

"Fine." Leo answered, his tone much more hostile than he intended. "But you still don't have my trust, Slash…remember that."

Donnie took the flash drive from the brunette and grimaced when he saw his brother and the behemoth turtle still glaring. "I'm sorry about that, Cheyloe…I don't know if they'll stop. Rockwell's smug, but even we're not that bad."

"I guess Leo's still mad at Slash for what he did to you and the others…but hopefully saving New York can clear things up." She suddenly chuckled and added, "I can understand him, though. I wasn't exactly too friendly with Slash when I met him in the sewers."

"How bad was it?" The genius turtle dared to ask.

Putting on a nervous smile, the brunette answered, "I tried to slice his face open."

* * *

The mission to stop the missile…proved to be a success. Unfortunately for the Turtles and Mutanimals, one of their opponents turned out to be the nefarious Kraang Subprime, who first discovered the lair. He still pranced around in that Irma suit like he didn't have a care in the world, and he still had that stuck-up, 'I'm always going to win' attitude. Fortunately, the mutants took him down a peg or two, and now the Turtles were secure in Dimension X while the Mutanimals took TCRI. Donatello made sure they had their homemade oxygen converters on hand, and Michelangelo took the extra step of assuming his 'savage' attire. But now came the hard part…how would they actually manage to use the retromutagen on all the enslaved New York populace at once?

The answer came from an unexpected source: another Technodrome.

To get to said Technodrome required the use of a Stealth Ship, and none of the Turtles sans Mikey had the know-how to pilot such a craft, to Donnie's chagrin. Of course, he had to worry about encountering any more Kraang, Kraathatrogons, and other Dimension X creatures more than Mikey one-upping him in the tech department; he would attempt to decode his bizarre know-how once everything was done. Next would be plugging the retromutagen into the mutagen supply present in the ship, bathing the New York denizens in it, and teleporting them back home in accordance to the plan he and Rockwell formulated. As long as the monkey kept up his part of the plan, they were good to go.

"Got that mutagen plugged in, Donnie?" Leo asked as he and Raph attempted to steer the Technodrome."

"Give me just a sec, Leo! I just have to configure the ship to accept the retromutagen…" Once the genius turtle plugged the tube of antidote into the ship and pressed a few keys…he got the results he didn't want: the ship on the verge of internal collapse. He placed his hands on the side of his head and shouted, "Oh no…no, no, no, no! Come on, work! Why won't it work!?"

Donnie suddenly found himself shoved away from the keyboard by none-other than Mikey. "Step aside, bro! I got this!" That prompted the freckled turtle to press random keys on the bizarre keyboard like a child pretending to type. While his brother attempted to tell him to stop with the foolishness, the ship suddenly lurched, and the mutagen suddenly converted into retromutagen with ease. "Ta-da!"

"Show off…" The purple-masked turtle mumbled. "It's ready guys, start aiming for the people!"

"Let's just hope the Mutanimals have that teleportation stuff ready!" Raph grunted, aiming the retromutagen blaster at an island of mutated people. "They won't last long without oxygen!"

"I know that, Raph! Rockwell hasn't been able to contact me yet, so they're probably dealing with the Kr-" He stopped mid-sentence when a circular saw burst through the sealed doors, revealing a cackling Kraang Subprime on the other side; when did this guy ever quit? "Oh, sewer apples."

"You think you puny Turtles can outmatch and outrun Kraang Subprime? Well THINK AGAIN!" The scarred Kraang burst through the door with a few Kraang Droids at each side of his damaged Irma suit. "Those troops would've destroyed you if it hadn't been for those irritating Anomalies!"

"Anomalies?" Leo asked, pulling out his swords to engage the aliens. "Wait, do you mean superhumans?"

As Donnie and Raph went to work on helping the mutated citizens return to normal, Leo and Mikey took the liberty of taking on Kraang Subprime and his lackeys. The scarred alien took a swing at the lead turtle and snarled out, "No, I mean used car salesmen! Of course I mean superhumans, you louse! Those mutation accidents have been a thorn in the side of myself and Kraang Prime for YEARS! Fortunately for us, the regular humans are so stupidly scared of them, they got rid of most of them!"

That statement seemed to rile the genius turtle up, prompting him to break away from the keyboard and use his Bo staff to take a swing at Subprime. "Don't you DARE say that! They just want to live normal lives like everyone else, not be treated like lepers!"

"Why so sensitive about the Anomalies, terrapin?" The scarred alien taunted, blocking one of Donnie's blows as Mikey handled the keyboard in the background. "Feel sorry for them because they're freaks like YOU?"

While the lead turtle and genius turtle kept up the fight against Subprime and knocked away his goons, the temperamental turtle and freckled turtle busied themselves aiming the retromutagen blaster at the islands of people forced into slave labor. Closing one eye, Raph pressed the buttons on the steering controls, blasting and bathing the citizens with the precious antidote. The confused people looked around before realizing they couldn't breathe, causing them to kneel on the ground and try to conserve whatever air they had in their lungs. Donnie took notice of this and broke away from the fight to communicate with Rockwell.

"Dr. Rockwell, are you there!?" He asked, staring at the T-Phone screen. "We've got the first group of humans de-mutated! Get that teleporter working NOW!"

The mutant monkey appeared on the static-y screen, missing his helmet. "I'm here, Donatello! We had a small setback, but I'm activating the teleporter now! Just focus on curing the rest of the captured humans, my boy!"

"Got it!" He put his T-Phone back in his belt and turned to Raph and Mikey. "Keep at it, guys! We'll hold Subprime back! Don't let up!"

"Ya don't have ta remind us, Brainiac!" Raph grunted, being jerked around by the ruckus going on in the ship as he focused on the next island of humans. "Just be a little gentle, all right!?"

"Dude that sounded weird the way you said it." Mikey teased, waggling his eyebrows before being shoved away.

The second and third islands were bathed with the precious retromutagen, and the fully-restored humans struggled to breathe before light engulfed them one-by-one, taking them out of the accursed Dimension X. Kraang Subprime wouldn't let up, despite being on the verge of defeat, and he managed to get the Turtles huddled together while they finished de-mutating the humans. Finally, he had them in his hold and they would be struck down once and for all. But just as he swung his circular saw down onto them, the terrapins found themselves engulfed in the same light and disappearing, leaving the scarred alien to suffer the crashing of the Technodrome into a nearby landmass.

Back in New York, the Kraang Droids patrolling the city stood stunned as the citizens of New York appeared in front of them. They all prepared to shoot and recapture the stunned humans, but found themselves teleported back to Dimension X, more than likely not able to return to Earth for a long time. The people also found the power in the city steadily restoring itself to life, causing them to cheer in jubilee at being back home safe and sound. The Turtles found themselves landing on a random rooftop and witnessing the humans celebrating…all of them unaware of who exactly saved them.

Down below, April and Casey walked outside of the pizzeria with the now-recovered Kurtzman in tow. The redhead glanced around at the rescued denizens when she felt a familiar and longed-for presence nearby, prompting her to turn around and see who it was. Right there, standing on the sidewalk, was her father, finally returned to normal and returned to HER.

"Dad?" She whispered out, breaking out into a smile and running towards Kirby. "DAD!"

Watching April embracing her father after he'd been torn from her twice, Casey couldn't help but smile at the scene. Now it was time for him to go find his dad and little sister and make sure they were okay. If his mom could see all of this, despite him not being able to do much with this, she'd still be proud of him. Maybe not proud of his vigilante doings, but at least proud of helping his friends save New York.

"I can't believe we actually did it…" Donnie spoke in awe. "The plan actually worked…we saved New York!"

"But what about the Mutanimals?" Leo questioned as his ocean-blue eyes searched the rooftops.

"What about us?"

The Turtles turned around to see the Mighty Mutanimals themselves arriving on the scene, looking triumphant and relieved that the mission succeeded. Michelangelo instantly went over to embrace Leatherhead, and Donatello and Rockwell congratulated each other on their plan going off without much of a hitch. Raphael complimented Pigeon Pete on actually being a good member of the team, and Leonardo took the moment to approach Slash.

"Slash…" Leo began, clearing his throat. "I should've had more faith in you. You actually have changed…I just hope that you can accept this knuckleheaded turtle's apology for doubting you."

"Well, I did learn from the best." Slash complimented in a teasing tone, but quickly turned serious when he added, "And that's you, Leonardo. You inspired me to make this team and lead them to the best of my abilities."

The two groups suddenly heard someone climbing onto the rooftop, and they looked to see Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn coming up and running towards them. "You guys did it!" Chey cheered excitedly, excitedly grabbing Donnie's hands. "I knew you could do it, I just knew it!"

"New York is restored…I hope it stays that way for a long time." Anna sighed, staring at the people below in solace. "I hope I never see another one of those disgusting aliens for the rest of my life."

Kaitlyn crossed her arms and flashed a satisfied smirk. "Ya did good…all of ya. New York's back ta normal, and it'd better stay that way, got it? Now, how 'bout I fix ya a full-course meal as a reward for riskin' yer butts?"

Mikey immediately whooped at the idea, pumping his fist in the air and asking, "A full-course meal? Can we have pizza and cheesecake in it, too!? You make the best cheesecake in the world, so you gotta make it!" He stopped himself from getting more excited and stated, "But first, we gotta give a big Booyakasha for winning!"

Despite how ridiculous it sounded, none of them were going to pass up the chance to do a victory shout, not even the Mutanimals and superhumans. All of them raised their fists in the air before giving a loud cry.

"BOOYAKASHA!"

Donnie shared in the victory cry, but froze a second later when he felt something touch upon his cheek. That something turned out to be Cheyloe's lips touching his cheek in the form of a congratulatory kiss. She kissed him…she actually kissed him on the cheek. The stunned turtle placed his hand to his now-warm cheek, blissfully unaware of the warm smile the brunette gave him. This wasn't even like the kisses April gave him on the cheek…this was totally different, and totally awesome.

"Best…victory…EVER."

* * *

 **So now we're finally getting back to some normality, aren't we? The next chapter will have some Donnie and Casey bonding, and some April and Chey bonding, while Donnie learns more details about the mysterious boy he encountered on his vision quest. So...stay tuned!**


	29. Bonding

**Author's Note: Hello again, everyone! Looks like it's time for another new chapter! First off, I wanted to apologize for coming off as cross in response to that anonymous review. Around the time I wrote the previous chapters, I lost a beloved pet I had for almost all my life and I was still reeling from the loss, so I wasn't in the best of moods. I also realized that if I try to please everyone in writing, I'll just end up pleasing no one in the end. I'm still improving on writing, and that's all I can do. Does that mean I'll stop writing? Of course not! I'll just keep at it! Anyway, this chapter will have some Donnie/Casey bonding and April/Cheyloe bonding, and Donnie will learn a secret from Chey's past that has something to do with the child he saw in his vision quest. Read away!**

 **EDIT: I changed a little bit in here about the compressions. Had a guest point out an error I made and I fixed it!**

* * *

Chapter 29: Bonding

"Yo, D! Pass me a soda, will ya?"

"Already ahead of you, Casey." Donatello didn't even have to look up to toss a can of soda from the cooler to the intended target. "Thanks again for helping clean the lair…the Kraang did a number on it AND my lab."

The hockey player shrugged and leaned against his push broom. "Eh, just think of it as a way ta make up fer takin' on Shredder without ya guys. It's actually weird; I thought you'd hit it up with Chey after bein' without 'er fer months."

The purple-masked turtle sighed, shaking his head and putting his mop aside. "Can't, at least not for a few days. With everyone back from Dimension X, they're going to the hospital to be checked out…which means she has to take on more and more shifts. I bet she's exhausted…"

"Don't sweat, she's a tough lady. Once it's over, you'll get ta hang with 'er all ya want!" That suddenly made Casey's cocky grin fade. "But I know how ya feel…April and 'er dad are busy handin' out soup ta people; helpin' 'em get back on their feet. We haven't been able ta hang out much. But I still got you guys, right? And we can work together ta stop that…what was it those chemicals made?"

"I already told you Casey, those chemicals the Purple Dragons stole for Shredder create a mind-control serum!" The genius turtle explained in a huff. "It can either be put directly in the bloodstream or put into _something_ like a parasite or microchip! If Shredder got his hands on enough of it, he could control all of New York! But by my hunch, his top priority'll be to use it on Karai or us."

"Why you guys? What could Shredder want ta use it on ya guys for?"

"Well, he already had Karai turned against Master Splinter for seventeen years, and it'd hurt him even more for us to be under Shredder's grasp. Just imagine it…all of Sensei's children under the control of the man who destroyed his life…"

The hockey player's jaw slowly slacked open at how deep that really was, and it was something he never took into any consideration; the need for a thrill took top priority over how vile Shredder was towards the Hamatos. He saw the scenario happen to some of the kids on his hockey team: most of them came from homes rocked by divorce, and one parent would often brainwash the kids so they would turn on the other parent and help them get everything. Sure, mind-control juice wasn't involved, but it was really the same scenario. Even worse if the one doing the brainwashing was the same guy that killed your wife and kidnapped your daughter.

"Hey, Donnie…ya just gave me an idea."

Donnie visibly gulped at the word 'idea'. "I don't like where this is going."

"Don't be like that, D! Just hear me out on this: a guy's night out! Cuz, ya know, we never really did an official celebration of gettin' New York back, right? So how about we get the guys together and have some dude time?"

"Do you really have to call it 'dude time'?" The genius turtle questioned in a snarky tone. "I don't know…the lair still needs cleaning, and I still need to find a way to counteract that serum…"

"No backin' out, Donnie!" Casey shouted, putting the broom aside and crossing his sleeved arms. "Time ta actually celebrate bein' back home! And time ta get ya outta the lair before ya become a hermit!" He suddenly turned towards the dojo and announced, "Yo Raph, Leo, Mikey! Guy's night out TONIGHT!"

Donnie visibly cringed, staring at the dojo from Casey's shoulder, and muttered, "What am I getting myself into?"

* * *

"All right, April…this is going to be a VERY important task. We've slacked off both in your medical training and honing your psychic abilities, so we must work overtime to perfect both! See it as if your very life depends on it!"

"Anna, you don't have to…be so dramatic." April cringed, finding the theatrics odd coming from the ponytailed brunette. "And shouldn't we wait for Cheyloe to come in?"

Anna simply crossed her arms at being referred to as 'dramatic'. The redhead had a valid point as well; Cheyloe was needed to train April on more first-aid and CPR, and she remained absent due to an overhaul of nurses needed at the hospital. Of course, physical therapists weren't needed right now, so the drama stemmed from being miffed over this and having been absent for almost five months. Kaitlyn sat in an easy chair, watching a wrestling match and drinking what was clearly beer, not paying any attention to this lesson in psychokinesis.

"Cheyloe will be here soon…but just understand that she's been exhausted lately." Anna explained, her tone now bordering on pleading. "They've been evaluating everyone who was in that horrid dimension, and news crews have been harassing people nonstop about aliens. So lessons with her might be short for a while."

April wanted to protest, but really had no argument for that. She could understand being tired; for several hours, she and her father served soup to the rescued citizens on their own. Standing for that long hurt her feet, and the constant begging from people getting greedy gave her a migraine. Chey had to deal with people needing their blood pressure checked, people begging for medicine, and even some lunatics ranting and raving that the 'aliens experimented on them' and 'possibly gave them a virus'. "All right, all right…so what will this lesson be?"

The ponytailed brunette's somber expression readily melted into a beaming smile, making her pose like a game show hostess. "Ah, for this lesson…let us begin with a little summary! Tonight, Kaitlyn made some very scrumptious cherries jubilee! All you have to do is find it!"

At that moment, the apartment door opened to reveal Cheyloe, who clearly looked like death warmed over. The brunette trudged her way to the sofa and collapsed with a loud thud, startling the others. Anna stopped in her assignment explanation to ask, "Another rough night?"

"…Can't they just give everyone a clean bill of health already?" Chey groaned through the cushions. "They've given me so many hours, I haven't even stopped by the lair to help clean…I'm too tired to even THINK."

"Chill, Chey." Kaitlyn snorted, not glancing away from the television. "Once April's done with this psychic stuff, you can dig inta that cherries jubilee I whipped up; you'll be perked up in no time."

"Now as I was saying…" Anna interrupted, fighting to keep her composure and going on with the lesson, "The cherries jubilee is hidden somewhere in the kitchen, and you have to find it, April. And no Cheyloe, you can't sniff it out for her."

The brunette groaned and lifted her head. "No fair, I really want some now. All right April, you can do it…get a win for the team!"

April got up from her seat on the floor and stated, "Well, I guess I'll just look around for it-"

"Actually, there's a catch." The ponytailed brunette smiled and gave another dramatic pose. "You have to use your psychic senses to find it, and without reading our minds for the answer. You may have been able to sense people with your powers, but you also have to learn to sense objects as well. You can't do one and not the other."

"You make it sound easy!" The redhead whined. "How long did it take you to perfect it?"

"Oh, it took her about a year to fully get it down." Chey cut in, finally sitting up and laying out a few medical supplies for the next lesson. "I should tell you about the time she tried to lift a glass of Sprite…let's say she wore the Sprite for the rest of the day, and that's only the beginning."

"Cheyloe…zip it. Zip it or I will throw out those precious energy drinks you keep hoarded in the fridge." Her darkened expression shifted back into a smile once she faced April again. "All right, April…let us begin, shall we?"

With a deep sigh, April closed her eyes and placed her fingertips to her temples. This would be easier if she had to find a cat, not a plate of flambéed cherries and ice cream. But this wasn't supposed to be easy…just like with ninjitsu, she would have to face very difficult tests to prove her worth. She certainly got better with her skills as a kunoichi, though Splinter would always be the best teacher compared to Leo and Raph. Now she had to improve on her Kraang-based abilities, despite loathing that side of her genetic material, so she could help her friends and family even more…especially in stopping the Foot Clan now.

Her mind's eye searched the kitchen area, finding nothing but dishes and bottles of a variety of drinks, along with frozen dinners and a few bottles of over-the-counter medicine for convenience. Weird…the dessert wasn't in the fridge or freezer, but that would be too obvious. Then, a nagging voice told her to look for something unexpected; something that would be easily missed. Her mind zoomed in on a place in the lower cabinets…and amongst the pots and pans sat a small cooler, and she could actually smell it now…cherries, brandy, vanilla…and she could even taste the cold emanating from it.

"It's right there! In the lower cabinet next to a soup pot!" April shouted, pointing to the cabinet in question.

The ponytailed brunette clapped, going over to the cabinet and opening it up to pull out the cooler. And what was inside the cooler? None-other than cherries jubilee. "Well done, April! You're a fast learner!"

"In that case, allow me to cut in and teach April for a bit." Chey spoke, hoisting herself from the sofa and shedding her thin jacket. "But first, I think I'll give myself a little sugar rush with this delicious dish…and April's going to help me eat it, of course, since SHE found it." She turned to the redhead and smiled wearily. "What do you say, April?"

April couldn't help but grin at the idea. "If it's sweet, I'm in!"

* * *

"I'm up for trying something new, but 'Turtles on ice' wasn't what I had in mind."

"Don't be such a bummer, D! Turtles on ice is an awesome idea! Beats mopping up the lair all night, huh?"

Donatello watched Michelangelo execute a pirouette on the ice rink with near perfection, while he himself struggled not to fall on it. Further proof that if anyone were to be a champion figure skater, it would be his baby brother; he was never that great of a dancer, or built for the ice for that matter. Leonardo seemed to use the ice rink as a means of improving some of his ninjitsu techniques, as he glided on the frozen floor and swung his swords through the air at invisible enemies. Raphael decided to have a one-on-one hockey match with Casey, which meant he had to borrow one of the vigilante's hockey sticks and promise not to break it in a rage. Though considering the reputation of ice hockey, that was a promise he shouldn't have made.

"No offense Mikey, but I'm not the most…graceful person on icy terrain." Donnie admitted, hanging on to the edge of the rink when his foot gave out underneath him. "Snow, I can manage, but not pure ice! Remember that incident with the frozen pond up in Northampton? I really don't want a repeat of that!"

"Oh yeah, I remember that! It was good you didn't catch pneumonia, and my homemade chicken noodle soup cleared those sinuses right up!" Mikey reminisced, recalling how his brother fell into the frozen pond and came out a wet, shivering heap. Even as mutants, they still retained some of their cold-blooded nature. "Of course, you were stuck in bed for about a week, and you slept with a hot water bottle all the time."

"You were even more miserable than when you were beatin' yourself up over the invasion." Raph piped in, skating up to the rink wall and leaning on his hockey stick. "I got so sick of hearin' ya gripe I was about ta throw ya into the snow ta shut you up."

"Give D a break about that, guys!" Casey of all people reprimanded. "At least down here we don't hafta worry about frozen ponds or nature! It's good ta have noisy traffic and smoggy air back, right?"

That didn't make Donnie feel any better about having fallen into an ice-cold pond thanks to being a klutz on the ice. As a ninja and a master of the Bo staff, he found himself fluid and smooth in that department; he had to be to actually master the staff. As a dancer and ice skater? Not so much. "All right, we've skated and ate pizza, and now we're here. How much more do we need to do for a guy's night out, huh?"

Casey sighed, gliding towards the wall opening that led to the bleachers and setting aside his stick and spare pucks. "I guess we could take a break an' figure it out, huh? All right, let's chill, dudes."

 _Finally_. Donnie managed to scoot himself from the ice to an actual floor and onto the much-desired bleachers to sit and warm his feet. His brothers didn't seem to mind the cold so much, but it was because they had a little more meat on their shells compared to his lanky frame. Maybe that was why Casey always wore long sleeves, even in the summer. Speaking of Casey…Donnie knew the teen acted like his cocky and trouble-seeking self like usual, but this time it seemed a little, well, forced. It could've just been from trying to take on Shredder and that Hun guy by himself, but that couldn't be the only thing…could it? Casey could normally shake that stuff off, too…

"Hey, how 'bout we go bust up some Purple Dragons next? I wanna rematch with Hun!"

"Casey?" Donnie piped up without warning. "…Is something bothering you?"

"Botherin' ME?" The hockey player asked, his eyes darting around in uneasiness. "What could possibly be botherin' me? I should be askin' you that, D! Ya always act like somethin's on yer mind!"

Leo, Raph, and Mikey fell quiet, previously discussing what they could possibly do for the rest of the evening, when they heard Donnie actually ask the smug vigilante if something bothered him. This was weird…but it was best for them to not but in and just listen; that meant even Mikey. The whole rink grew quiet with uncomfortable silence until Donnie spoke up again. "Casey, you've been acting funny since we came back to New York, and especially after going after Shredder alone, which was and always will be the stupidest thing you've ever done, by the way!"

"Donnie, we've been over that like a thousand times already! I said I was doin' this ta make up for it, right!?" Casey retaliated, now becoming defensive. "Why would I be actin' funny about it!?"

"Casey, if you keep being defensive, I'll have no choice but to use the truth serum I have stored in my lab. I was going to save it for an emergency only, but-"

"Okay, okay! Fine, I'll talk!" The hockey player scratched the back of his head in irritation. It was a habit he developed as a kid, as it happened for some reason after he contracted a bad case of head lice, therefore associating irritation with that crawling-on-his-skin feeling. Looks like it was time to fess up and actually do something he normally dreaded…letting out his bottled-up emotions and expose his vulnerabilities. "Don…I gotta confession ta make. I…remember all that junk with Bigfoot up in Northampton? I, uh…I overheard ya talkin' with April."

The genius turtle blinked. "Come again?"

"I said I overheard ya tellin' April you were givin' up on 'er! And…this isn't easy fer me, man." The vigilante once again scratched the back of his head, ignoring the stares of disbelief from the other turtles. "I admit…the moment I heard it, I wanted ta jump up an' down and say I won…but ya kept on talkin' and tellin' April stuff I didn't think about."

"Casey Jones? Thinking?" The red-masked turtle teased, leaning his shell against the bleachers. "That's a first! Especially when April's concerned!"

"Uh, guys…why don't we head back on the ice and try out some moves?" Leo suggested, even though he grabbed Raph and Mikey by the arms and began to drag them away against their will. "I think Donnie and Casey need a break for a few minutes."

Once the other turtles disappeared back onto the ice rink, Casey felt a little more comfortable. He wouldn't admit it out-loud, but he and Donatello were alike in more ways than one; not just in the teeth and height departments. They could build extraordinary gadgets out of random crap from the junk drawer, both prone to losing their tempers when pushed too far, and both snarky and sarcastic, not to mention being able to kick butt with sticks. But most of all…they both got stupid over the same girl. Casey recalled all the times he tried to push the purple-masked turtle, just to get a rise out of him so he would look bad in front of April and score himself points with her. One of his most infamous stunts was wrapping April in a hug without warning, just to push Donnie's buttons. If he'd actually paid attention at the moment, he would've seen the horrified look on the redhead's face and stopped immediately.

"Ya said that ya didn't take 'er feelings into consideration, right? Well, neither did I." Casey confessed, his tone softer than normal. "I always had the idea that if I acted macho enough, saved 'er plenty 'a times, flirted with 'er all th' time, made ya look like a loser, that she'd see me as 'er knight in shining armor. I thought she'd go after me 'cause I was…well…what she thought of as 'normal'. But there's nothin' normal 'bout April or any of this junk…everything's a mess, and I've been treatin' it like a hockey game."

"Casey, I get it that you've not been treating the whole Foot Clan situation seriously…but I don't understand where you're going exactly concerning April." The purple-masked turtle spoke, twiddling his thumbs. "I decided on my own that I would let April go because I care about how she feels. Are you saying…I shouldn't have?"

"T-That's not what I'm sayin', D! I respect that ya let 'er go…I'm just saying I should've done what ya did! I should've thought about how SHE felt! We were both makin' 'er miserable 'cause of this love triangle crap! So…if yer not right for 'er, then maybe I'm not right for 'er, either. Ya looked at her an' saw a great friend…I just saw a trophy ta win until after that Bigfoot junk."

Donnie stared at the floor, unsure of how to react to Casey admitting he wanted to give up pursuing April as well. Really, he wasn't used to seeing this side of the hockey player; this certainly wasn't the Casey he knew. The Casey he knew was confident, cocky, an inventor, and even a little annoying, not this guy devoid of any of that right now. Was he that down about his past behavior concerning April? Or was it more about having tried to deal with a murderous ninja crime lord by himself? Either way, he wasn't going to let Casey become a shell of himself.

"Casey…you're acting like a total sap. The Casey Jones I know wouldn't be this ate up over those issues. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you've acknowledged you need to be a little more serious about Shredder and all the drama surrounding him, but don't be so beat up over not winning the girl!"

"Sap? I'm not being sappy, Donnie! I'm just…" Casey sighed and stared at the other turtles tackling each other on the ice rink, seemingly not having a care in the world despite all the crap going on. "I just wanna be a better guy…I wanna be a better fighter, and I know I say I'm not a member of this team, but I don't mean that…I wanna be a member of this team and stop that psycho Shredder before he hurts th' people I care about. My dad, my little sister, April, and you guys…I already lost my mom, I don't wanna lose you, too."

Now that was something Donnie hadn't prepared himself for. He remembered how the hockey player boasted of not being a team player that night he went after the Foot alone; it didn't help that he and his brothers teased him about losing to the Purple Dragons. If they'd known how formidable of a foe that Hun was, they wouldn't be laughing. But they always looked at Casey as a _member_ of the team-the family even when they didn't always see eye-to-eye, and they knew they could count on him when things hit rock bottom.

"Casey, we're going to stop Shredder once and for all, and I know we can count on you to be on the front lines with us." Donnie assured, clasping his friend's shoulder with his large hand. "You, April, Cheyloe and her friends, the Mutanimals…we're all going to pound him into the ground for all the terrible things he did. You may act like a lone wolf, but you can always open up to us…we won't laugh. Still…" The genius turtle suddenly pointed towards Raph, who had Mikey in a headlock for tossing a puck at his shell. "I think there's someone you need to give that reassurance to. I noticed you two drifted apart while we were at the farmhouse."

The vigilante's face dropped and he cast his brown eyes to the side in shame. "Yeah…Raph was always busy watchin' over Leo that he forgot about me. I kinda forgot about 'im too 'cause I was busy tryin' ta get April's attention…and hangin' out with you." He slowly got up from the bleachers and began making his way towards the ice. "Guess I better start makin' it up to 'im right now."

Casey slowly skated towards the temperamental turtle, going past Leo and Mikey while they watched intently, until he stopped in front of his partner in busting heads. Raph seemed to know he was approaching and didn't look up from glancing at the puck that hit him. "Somethin' up, Casey?"

"Hey, Raph…" The hockey player started, faking a cough into his hand. "Listen, uh…I know we didn't hang out much up at the farmhouse, an' I spent a lot 'a time with Donnie while you were keepin' an eye on Leo. So…I didn't mean ta leave ya out, man."

Raph only blinked at Casey suddenly being…soft. "Who are ya and what have ya done with Casey?"

"I'm serious, Raph! We haven't been actin' like friends 'cause you were caught up in treatin' Leo like he was fragile, an' me tryin' ta hook up with April and bug Donnie! And what happened the other night when I took on th' Foot Goons…we were just at each other's throats, okay? I don't want us ta fight over stupid stuff, an' I wanna make it up to ya!"

"Calm down, Case! I'm not that mad over all that!" The red-masked turtle halted him, raising up his hands. "I was really mad at how stupid you were actin'! The other stuff is water under the bridge, but I don't want ya actin' like a bonehead when goin' up against Shredder, of all people! He doesn't care who he kills…he'll do anything ta get back at Master Splinter and get what he wants…so don't go in half-cocked and expect ta win. I don't want ya ta be his next victim!" It was then Raph went forward and knocked his knuckles against the hockey player's scalp. "Start usin' yer noggin a little more, okay? Or I'll knock some sense into ya."

To his surprise, Casey actually grinned and knocked his hand away. "Ya don't have ta tell me twice, Raph. So…how 'bout another round 'a hockey? You an' me play Leo an' Mikey."

The red-masked turtle glanced at his now-staring brothers and smirked, cracking his knuckles. "I like that idea, Jones."

Neither of them noticed Donnie smiling greatly from his spot on the bleachers.

* * *

"John Doe has gone into cardiac arrest! What code do you call to the team?"

"I call…a code blue!"

"Correct! Now, what do you have to do now?"

"His chest isn't rising up and down…I have to try and resuscitate John Doe until it proves ineffective!"

"Good, now start chest compressions like I taught you!"

Immediately slapping her palms against the chest of the dummy, April began pressing down in rhythm to simulate the proper CPR procedure. Cheyloe stayed silent, counting the compressions in her head, until after about thirty rib-breaking compressions, she snapped her fingers. That signaled the redhead to start giving the practice dummy mouth-to-mouth. Finally, with another snap of the fingers, the brunette called, "Okay, good! Be a little more swift and precise with the compressions, but other than that, you're getting the hang of it. Go on and call it a night before your dad worries, April."

April broke away from the practice dummy and scoffed as she wiped her mouth from 'kissing' it for the tenth time tonight. "When isn't he worried? Ever since he got mutated AGAIN, he's been even more paranoid than before. I mean, the whole 'passing soup out to people' thing was just his way of keeping me from seeing the Turtles."

Chey's expression softened. "April, I didn't think it was THAT bad…but maybe he'll come around soon."

"I doubt it." The redhead sighed. "He's been so paranoid ever since we lost Mom. If he saw that Kraang creature that pretended to be my mom up in Northampton, it would've destroyed him. It almost destroyed me, but…the guys know how to make things all right. What about you?" April turned her head to face Chey. "What are your parents like?"

"My parents? Well…" The brunette went to put away the practice dummy and began to explain, "My dad looks like a mountain man to most people; scares them with the look, too, but he's actually a teddy bear. He gets protective of me, but he knows I can take care of myself just fine. My mom…well, we're not exactly on the best terms, but she always calls to see how I'm doing. I can't begin to tell you how many calls I got from her after the invasion wanting to see if I'm still alive. She's also not very great with money, but her heart's in the right place…most of the time."

April chuckled, taking a seat on the sofa and staring at her hands on her knees. "You seem like you have good parents overall…makes me a little jealous. Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, but I don't like what he's becoming…an overly-paranoid, mutant-wary shell. I'm sure your parents would be more accepting of the guys, wouldn't they?"

"Well, my dad probably wouldn't mind them. His philosophy, like mine, is that character is more important than appearance. My mom is a different story, but I'll tell that another day. Right now, it's time for you to get home and get prepared for tomorrow…we still have a lot of catching up to do."

Huffing in defeat, April grabbed her backpack and got up to leave. She stopped, however, and turned back to Cheyloe. "Now I know another reason Donnie isn't crushing on me anymore…Dad wouldn't approve. It would just give him more reason to keep me away from them."

"April, listen, your dad's…issues are something he has to overcome himself. It's not your fault he's this way, and you shouldn't have to feel responsible for how he feels. You're right about at the age where you're allowed to make your own decisions from now on, and he has to realize you're not a little kid anymore. So if you want to see the guys every night, you have the freedom to do that…" Cheyloe walked to the door and went to open it, careful not to awaken Kaitlyn in her room. "And April? If trouble ever starts at home…you're more than welcome to stay with us until things get sorted out."

Eyes widening, the redhead glanced to the side in a moment of uncertainty before looking back up at the older girl. She found herself smiling and replying back in a quieter voice, "Thank you, Cheyloe…"

Once April left the apartment, the smile on the brunette's lips instantly vanished, and now she revealed herself to be fully exhausted physically…and mentally. Since Anna was in her room prepping for bed and Kaitlyn was already asleep, she figured it was time for her to retire…only her body ended up planting itself on the sofa, not caring how her back would feel in the morning. What tired her out more was having to plaster on a smile and fool everyone into thinking she was all right.

She was anything but.

* * *

"Whew, I'm tired! It's time for the _numero uno_ ninja Mikey to crash! All that pizza and those doughnuts made me sleepy…"

"Mikey wanting to crash? I never thought I'd hear 'Mikey' and 'crash' in the same sentence…I'm honestly getting' a little scared, Fearless."

"Just be thankful we got Casey back home before curfew. No need in getting chewed out by Master Splinter. But…at least we have doughnuts for in the morning."

Donatello stifled a yawn, listening to his brothers chatting amongst themselves after a long guy's night out. Besides pizza and soda, Casey went and picked up doughnuts right after they left the ice rink, and they spent the rest of the night gorging on the glazed delicacies until Casey threw up from an overloaded stomach. With Casey dropped off, they now had another box left of doughnuts, enough for breakfast tomorrow. But the genius turtle figured they didn't need that much sugar or they would risk a crash; he started sounding like Leo. That gave him an idea on how to get rid of some.

"Hold up guys." Donnie halted, getting a few napkins and taking out three doughnuts. "I'm gonna drop these off at Cheyloe's."

"Aw, miss yer girlfriend already, Donnie?" Raph teased, though lightheartedly. "What a way ta say 'I miss you' like a bunch 'a sugar-laden doughnuts."

"I'm serious, Raph, and she's not my girlfriend!" Donnie pouted. "I just figure she'd need a pick-me-up for in the morning, and what better way than pastries? I won't be long, okay?"

Leo crossed his arms; typical mother hen. However, he smile at his brother and replied, "All right, Donnie. Just come straight home once you're done, okay? I'll tell Master Splinter so he doesn't worry."

After the other turtles left for the sewers, the purple-masked turtle jumped across the rooftops, travelling a total of three blocks to get to the Lunar Palace apartment building. He heard how the place got its name; the founder had a thing for lunar calendars or something. Hopefully she wouldn't be asleep, but he knew where the key to the balcony door was in case of an emergency, so he would be in and out if she was. Of course, with her shifts right now, why wouldn't she be tired? But it didn't take long for Donnie to reach the familiar balcony, grab the key from under the fern pot, and open the glass door.

Most of the lights were out, so that meant everyone was in bed…well, except for one person, indicated by snoring that sounded like a baby chainsaw. Laying the doughnuts on the kitchen table, Donnie quietly crept to the living room and found the culprit…Cheyloe. Poor thing…so exhausted she chose the couch. He felt it was best he went on home, but Donnie thought she looked cute when she slept. Maybe he could carry her to her room or grab a blanket; he ended up going for the second option. So he traveled to her room to find one, though he had to be careful not to awaken her friends.

Once he entered the room, he found everything messy; she was probably just too tired to clean up. He couldn't blame her, though, and he would help her out if it was needed. Once he found a blanket on the edge of the bed, the genius turtle grabbed it and went to exit the room…and then something stopped him. Once again, he saw the picture he discovered months back on her dresser, and he found himself picking it up again. Cheyloe smiling like there was no tomorrow, and that boy…wait a minute. That couldn't be…

It was the same boy he saw during his vision quest.

"I'm guessing you're wondering about the boy in that picture?"

Donnie turned around, clutching his hand to his plastron, and found Anna standing in her nightwear. She didn't look mad that he came in; she actually looked pretty sad. So she knew about the boy, too? Or at least knew who he was? He wanted to ask her, but she probably already knew he would consider the question.

"His name was Embry Karnes. He came under Cheyloe's care about two years ago…and he was the youngest-known superhuman to exist." Anna began, her voice somber. "He was such a sweet boy, and so full of life. He was like the brother she never had. Actually, all of us loved him…"

"Anna…you keep using the past-tense to refer to him." Donnie noted. "Are you telling me he's…?"

"…Yes, Donatello…he's dead. You see, Donatello, superhumans are thought to be stuck with their abilities for the rest of their life, right? But what if something, or someone, came along and had the means in which a cure for such abilities could be synthesized? That's where Embry came in…because his abilities allowed him to nullify other superhuman powers just by being into contact with him."

Donnie's eyes widened. "So he's a superhuman, too?"

The ponytailed brunette nodded. "Yes…the youngest ever known. But since a possible cure could be developed from his blood…there were those who didn't want that. Those desperate to keep their abilities and use them for wrong-doing. Embry didn't just die, Donatello…he was **murdered**."

The genius turtle swallowed a lump in his throat, staring back down at the picture of the grinning Cheyloe and Embry; he now had a name to go with the face. But this child died, and in the worst way…so then why did HE see him? "Anna, I know this'll sound crazy, but when my brothers and I went on vision quests, I…I saw Embry. It had to be him; the kid I saw looked just like him, even with all that fog. Do you…do you believe in spirits?"

Anna pursed her lips in deep thought. "Truthfully Donatello, since you came back, I've felt something different about you, and not just in your way of thinking. I don't know for sure what it is, but it feels like something's attached itself to you. It's not bad, but it's still something. It's probably best you talk with your father on spiritual matters; I'm not that much of an expert on it. I'm sorry I couldn't give you more."

"No, it's okay." Putting the picture back, Donnie sighed and added, "I should get going…have a good evening, Anna, and tell Chey I said hi."

Donnie began walking away, blanket in hand, before Anna stopped him, "Cheyloe was there when it happened…she watched him be killed." Once the turtle turned around in shock, she went on, "Because she couldn't save him, she feels tremendous guilt and feels she's no different from the man that killed Embry…"

"Then…if she feels guilt from it even now, why does she act like she's so happy-go-lucky?"

"Let's just say…Cheyloe has a talent for putting on a façade."

It took a moment for the genius turtle to process that information, and his steps to the couch seemed slower than usual. He looked back down at the slumbering Cheyloe, now seeing her in a different light; the happiness she displayed was just a cover to hide the guilt and keep others from worrying. She didn't have to do that…she should've told him in the first place. He took the blanket and draped it over her, watching her mouth twitch in her sleep at the sudden warmth. Before making himself head out, he gently brushed her longer bangs out of her face and revealed thin, jagged scars on the right side running from her jawline to her scalp. He would ask where they came from later…right now she needed to sleep.

"…Goodnight, Cheyloe."

And with that, Donatello headed back home, not hearing the brunette mumble his name in her sleep.

* * *

 **And that's the end of that chapter! Now we have a name to go with the mysterious boy, and pretty soon Donnie's going to learn a lot more about him than he thought he would! The next chapter will touch upon The Deadly Venom, and a certain timestress is going to make her debut. So...stay tuned!**


	30. The Cruelty of Fate

**Author's Note: Well, I'm back with yet another chapter! It won't be long before we get to the juicy bits! Now this chapter has the appearance of a certain Timestress, along with time travel to a very important period involving Splinter, Shredder, and Tang Shen. Now I added a little more to what could've happened in Tale of the Yokai, including saying more things to Shen to convince her to stay with Yoshi. Now the next chapter, or chapters, will involve Donnie encountering a certain someone face-to-face. Who is it? Well, read and find out! Read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 30: The Cruelty of Fate

To say the Turtles weren't in the best of moods tonight proved to be an understatement.

Scratch that, they hadn't been in the best of moods for the past few weeks. Many things led up to what happened those weeks ago, and they all came from the mind control serum desperately desired for by Shredder. Trying to stop Bebop and Rocksteady from getting the ingredients turned an innocent sewer worker into Muckman. Said serum ended up being doused on mutant worms and resulted in Raphael, Slash, and Dr. Rockwell becoming test subjects; it was Leo's quick thinking that broke them out of the control. The worst of them, however, was Baxter Stockman perfecting the mind-control worms and putting one into none-other than the focus of the experiment: Karai. Now she was back to thirsting for Splinter's blood thanks to the pack of lies Shredder told her for years.

That didn't stop her from attempting to hurt them, however. Thanks to still being a mutant snake, she hunted them down one-by-one and infected them with her incurable venom. All of them would've died if it hadn't been for Splinter and Leo using some technique called 'The Healing Hands'. Now thanks to Leo beating the brainwashed Karai, she hadn't been seen for weeks, and it wore everyone down knowing she was back in Shredder's grasp.

"Leo, it's been weeks since she's shown her face." Raphael said in an exhausted tone. "For your sake, ya need ta call it quits, bro."

"I wouldn't go so far as to calling it quits, but I second with Raph." Donnie added as he stared out at the city. "Leo, we've been at it for a while; we can't just expect Karai to show up when we want her to. If we can't find a cure for her, we may just have to let her go…"

Leo shook his head, clearly in denial of those statements. "I can't do that. It's not that easy; you should understand that Donnie. Sometimes…sometimes you just can't stop thinking about someone, and you don't have a choice in the matter. I can't stop thinking about her and whether or not she's okay…"

Donnie had to admit he would understand, back when he was still hung up on April. The entire time she stayed away from them, he thought about her every minute of every day; whether she was okay, or doing well in her classes, or living comfortably at her aunt's house, or whether she cried over her dad every night. He still thought about her and worried about her, but only as a friend now. He didn't mind that Leo couldn't stop worrying about Karai, but he wondered if his eldest brother still held onto any romantic feelings towards her, given the revelation that she was technically their sister. If that were the case, they would need to have a serious talk…

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm never gonna crush on a girl! Like, ever!" Michelangelo bragged, suddenly jumping around and flailing his nunchuks. "This dude's dedicated to one thing only: ninja-ing!"

No one noticed Raph suddenly disappearing into the door leading to the apartments below, but they sure did notice when the red-masked turtle came back fully-armed with a hose. "Yo Mikey, I got a little ninja-ing for ya right here!" With that, he suddenly started spraying Mikey, then Donnie, and finally Leo with a cold jet of water. It worked in bringing out any joy they all kept bottled-up for a while, and it made Mikey wish they brought Super Soakers.

While they were caught up in being sprayed with water, they failed to notice until the last minute what looked like a doorway opening up in the sky…and a girl stepping out of the bright light in the doorway. Whoever this girl was, she must've had an obsession with clocks because her attire consisted of mostly those, along with a blue leotard, cape, futuristic helmet, and boots. What was with that weird staff she carried? Before they could take in the entire scene, the girl suddenly stopped hovering mid-air and fell flat onto Michelangelo.

It became obvious to the other turtles that the moment their baby brother locked eyes with this weird magic girl, it was love at first sight. Boy, would Donnie have to have a talk with him on that subject…

"Oh…my…gosh." The strange girl spoke, hugging the staff to her bosom. "Leonardo, the Leader…Raphael, the Warrior…Donatello, the Inventor…and Michelangelo, the Cute One! I can't believe I'm looking at THE Turtle Warriors of Legend! Oh, this is so grokking cold!"

"Dudes, she knows who we are!" Mikey beamed, suddenly approaching the girl and slicking back his mask tails. "Hey there…the name's Michelangelo. But you can call me Mikey…Angelo is my middle name. What's yours? No, let me guess! Future Girl? Amazonian Princess? Wonder Warrior?"

"Uh, nope!" The girl answered matter-of-factly. "My name's Renet! I'm a Timestress…well, Timestress-in-training."

"Okay, hold up!" Raph shouted, shoving past Mikey and confronting Renet. "How do you know who we are!? Nobody even knows we exist!"

Renet gave a small nod. "Well, yeah, nobody knows…yet. But I come from the future, and…wow, you guys are like, so famous! Meeting you is so much more fun that meeting Genghis Khan, or Billy the Kid, or even Socrates!"

It was Donnie's turn to be skeptical of this so-called Timestress-in-training's claims of being from the future and seeing them as 'legends'. "Let me get this straight: you're saying you're from the future, and we're important enough to be in history books? Do you REALLY expect us to believe that?"

"Yes. You saved the world…MANY times."

After a few seconds of silence, a huge grin broke out on Donnie's face. "That is so AWESOME! I can't believe we're THAT important in the FUTURE!"

"But if you're from the future, how'd you get to the past?" Leo suddenly asked. Come to think of it, they were all curious as to how someone from the future traveled back to the 21st century. "Did you use some sort of time machine?"

"Not exactly." Renet shrugged, suddenly lifting the staff and showing off its intricate details, including the hourglass and the hand-like piece holding it. "It was thanks to the Time Staff that I came to meet you. I can use it to travel to whatever time period I desire…but I have to warn you, sometimes this thing has a mind of its own. And that reminds me…I should tell you the real reason why I'm here…

* * *

 _"_ _So Renet…what exactly is this Time Staff capable of?" Michelangelo asked curiously._

 _"_ _Well, the Time Staff is made with technology so advanced it can never, EVER be replicated! It allows whoever wields it to control the flow of time AND the flow of reality itself. In the hands of Time Lords and Timestresses, it's used to watch over multitudes of time periods, only intervening when necessary. In the wrong hands…it can wreak havoc, and could send the very world into Armageddon! Time Lords and Timestresses wouldn't even exist!"_

 _"_ _By wrong hands…what do you mean?" Donnie inquired cautiously._

 _"_ _Well…the truth is…I'm on the run from this crazy freak who wants to use it to destroy all time and essentially prevent you from existing."_

 _"_ _Wait, what!?" Raph and Leo shouted in unison._

The 'real' reason Renet showed up in the past turned up in the form of a demonic-resembling mutant going by the name of Savanti Romero. According to Renet, Romero had the intention of stealing the Time Staff and using it to conquer not only all of time, but all of reality itself. After Renet sent him back to medieval times, the group had no choice but to go after him in fear of him ceasing their existence altogether. Of course, that didn't mean they could go around looking like ninjas…it was a good thing the Time Staff allowed them to have their LARPing gear. Stopping Romero and saving time wasn't their only reason for going, however…it was obvious that Renet was on the run from her superior; some guy named Lord Simultaneous.

But that was just the beginning of their endeavor. Having to stop Savanti Romero from altering the timeline paled in comparison for what they had to face next…

There was definitely a struggle, including having to ward off less-than-bright knights, fighting reanimated skeletons and storming Romero's castle lair, but thanks to Renet and her fists, the Turtles and the Timestress-in-training defeated the demonic mutant and won back the Time Staff…and then came the floating head of Lord Simultaneous scolding and grounding Renet for pulling a stunt like stealing the Time Staff. However, his mood improved upon seeing the Turtles up-close, and all that was left to do was send the ninjas back to their timeline. Apparently, the Time Staff had other plans; the last thing they heard was Renet panicking over an 'interference in the time stream', or something similar. As a result, they wound up in a place they never thought they'd ever touch.

Japan…over seventeen years ago.

At first thinking it was present-day, the Turtles, still in their LARPing costumes, got a nasty surprise that proved the opposite…that surprise was a group of Hamato Clan ninjas led by a younger, armor-less, non-scarred Oroku Saki. Oroku Saki…back when he still believed he was a born-member of the Hamato Clan and Hamato Yoshi's brother. The stunned man stared at the costumed turtles, as did the masked grunt ninjas.

"Shredder…" Leo breathed out, narrowing his eyes.

"Are these…Yokai?" Saki asked, staring in awe of the strange turtle-creatures standing before him. "This…cannot be…"

Since the Turtles were in the past, and now had the past Oroku Saki in their sights, many thoughts and ideas rushed through their minds. What would happen if they decided to defeat him here and now? If they could take him down in the past, they surely wouldn't have to deal with him in the future. That came with a drawback, of course: if Shredder was eliminated in the past, Splinter wouldn't have a reason to move to New York, purchase four baby turtles, and encounter the Kraang in an alleyway to later be mutated. In other words, ceasing Shredder's existence here would only result in the obliteration of _their_ existence. Even if it meant many lives would be happier, it would mean doom for other lives. So, they had only one option when Saki and the Hamato ninjas drew closer with their blades.

Throw down a smoke bomb and RUN.

That was exactly what Mikey did, and the Turtles used the smoke to cover their tracks while the befuddled Saki tried to make sense of what just happened. With enough time to get away, it was time to ditch the LARPing gear, which was damaged by the swords of the Hamato ninjas. The question now became what to do and where to go.

"I can't believe we're seventeen years in the past!" Leo shouted, jumping through the trees in the forest outside the city. "That was Oroku Saki before he became the Shredder, so it has to be the past!"

"But why are we here in this time period?" Donnie asked when he stopped on a large tree branch. "And WHY are we here? Why'd that Time Staff send us here?"

"Beats me. Whatever the reason, we know it's Renet's fault!" Raph chided, ignoring the glare he got from his baby brother. "She knows absolutely NOTHING about time travel, ya know?"

Before Mikey could retaliate against his brother in Renet's favor, something in the distance caught his eye. "Yo guys, check it out!" He suddenly pointed in the distance at an old building: a dojo bearing the symbol of the Hamato Clan in the forms of engravings and flags. So…this was Splinter's old home. The Turtles couldn't help but let themselves marvel over the building their sensei and father grew up in, trained in, and spent days in gathering wisdom. But as much as they wanted to stare in awe, they knew they had to find their past-sensei and see if he was unharmed.

"Splinter's old dojo…let's go check it out." Leo concluded.

Upon reaching the old Hamato dojo, the Turtles found themselves greeted by the sight of Oroku Saki kneeling in front of and older man in a white hakama. They remembered stories Splinter told them of his father and head of the clan, Hamato Yuuta, and how he razed the Foot Clan, all except for the infant Saki. Donnie wondered what would've happened if Yuuta decided to finish the child Saki off as well; probably the same result as if they decided to finish him now. To leave a child of an enemy clan alive and adopting them proved to be a double-edged sword; if they never discovered their true lineage, maybe things would be beneficial. But even he knew that hopeful scenario wouldn't play out in this time…

"I saw them with my own eyes. They were…small, green men in strange costumes." Saki recounted in front of his father. "They were clearly the Yokai of legend!"

The second of silence ended with the sound of laughter from the hall. The voice instantly had the attention of the Turtles, and four pairs of eyes watched in awe as another man stepped into the room…the very same man in old pictures that had once been Splinter…Hamato Yoshi, right there in human form. There he stood, leaning against the doorway of the training room, holding the tessen that April now had in her possession.

"Yokai?" Yoshi chortled. "Your imagination is running wild, Saki!"

"Human Splinter…" Leo marveled, ocean-blue eyes wide as dinner plates at the sight of their father in the past.

"Whoa, he looks so weird without fur." Mikey piped in, loud enough for his brothers to clasp their hands over his mouth and pull him back.

The relationship between Yoshi and Saki reminded them all of how Leo and Raph previously behaved towards each other. As they watched the two former brothers go at it in training, all seemed normal…until a certain name was uttered between the two. That name made Leo, Raph, and Mikey remember that, at one point, they compared Donnie and Casey to Yoshi and Saki, though they had trouble deciding who was who. The very name that brought up that memory was all-too-familiar to them: Tang Shen. When they compared Donnie and Casey to Yoshi and Saki, the other turtles always saw April as the Shen of the trio. But from the story told to them numerous times by Splinter, they knew Donnie did what Saki didn't: let the girl he loved go. Saki just viewed Shen as a trophy to win and a way to best Yoshi…right?

Speaking of which, since they were over seventeen years in the past, that meant Tang Shen herself was still alive. They had to find her and see if she was okay…but where exactly would they start?

"Guys, I think we should gather our thoughts and go look for Tang Shen." Donnie suggested, ignoring the fight between Yoshi and Saki.

"Donnie, you're not suggesting talking to her in-person and changing the future, are you?" Leo questioned in a suspicious tone. "If I remember correctly, one of the golden rules of time travel is not to mess with time."

"We technically did that when we traveled to find Savanti Romero, Leo. You can hear how passionate Shredder is about Shen, and you know how persuasive he is! If he actually talked Shen into turning on Splinter and going with him…"

Leo glanced down and pondered over that scenario. Though it was true that Yoshi and Shen were loyal to each other, it was also true that Saki had a way with words, and he could sway just about anyone with his speech…including Shen. Since they heard Saki accusing Yoshi of caring more about the dojo and being a ninja, what if he used those accusations to get Shen on his side? He didn't want to take that chance…none of them did. "All right…tonight, we'll try to talk to Shen."

* * *

The moment Donatello laid eyes upon Tang Shen, he realized she was even more beautiful in-person compared to the many photos of her.

He and his brothers certainly understood part of what drew Splinter to her; her beauty paired well with her strong-yet-caring personality. What surprised them even more was the fact that she wanted to leave the life of ninja clans behind, for Karai-Miwa's sake. It was certainly strange seeing the baby that would eventually become the Foot Clan princess and Shredder's second-in-command, at least before Tiger Claw's arrival. That wasn't the primary issue, though; tension presented itself between Yoshi and Shen over the former's dedication to the Hamato dojo. If that got around to Saki, then it would just get worse. They had to intervene and keep the couple together…both for Miwa and their own future.

However, their first attempt at talking to Shen proved to be…a complete failure.

Not only did they end up terrifying Shen and baby Miwa, but the one who came to her rescue turned out to be none-other than Saki. The man who would become Shredder still saw them as the dreaded Yokai and fended them off, then turned around and went to comfort Shen and the baby. As the Turtles feared, he then planted the idea of 'taking him back' in her head, and she looked like she seriously considered the offer. Thanks to that little blunder, Donnie looked at his T-Phone at a group picture they took a while back and saw Casey slowly fade out of the picture. The future was already changing for the worse…

"Guys, we may have no choice but to finish Shredder once and for all…" Leo conceded, giving Saki a death glare from their treetop perch. "If we let him be, Shen will take his side over Splinter's."

"Leo, if we finish Shredder now…" Donnie began with hesitation. He licked his lips and forced himself to continue, "…Then Splinter won't move to New York and purchase four baby turtles from a pet store, thus there won't be anyone to save April and her dad, or stop the Kraang invasions. You said it yourself that we can't mess with time!"

It was Raph's turn to speak. "So whaddya suggest, Donnie!? Just let the guy be an' let him talk Shen into leavin' Splinter!?"

The genius turtle shook his head, his auburn eyes going back to Tang Shen and baby Miwa walking away from the tree line. "No, Raph…we just try again. We try again, and this time we make sure Shredder isn't around…or Splinter, for that matter."

"But why keep Splinter out too, Donnie?" Mikey asked in surprise. "I wanna meet Past Splinter!"

"You know why, Mikey…" Donnie sighed. "You know why…"

And that morning, try again is exactly what they did. To their good fortune, Tang Shen walked through the forest with Miwa, no Saki or Yoshi in sight…perfect. Once Shen became distracted by Miwa's babbling, the Turtles immediately took action, jumping down near the mother and child like they did before, only not being so pushy this time around. The woman immediately jumped back, instinctively pressing the baby to her bosom as a way of shielding her.

"Take it easy, Tang Shen!" Leo begged, slowly stepping closer. "We're not going to hurt you."

The woman didn't look convinced that they were friendly, but that's where the freckled turtle came in. And how would he show that they were no threat? The answer was simple: get into Tang Shen's heart through a certain baby. That meant dancing in front of Miwa and doing random faces and poses, humming the tune that their T-Phones operated by. With a bold 'ta-da' to finish, they watched as Miwa started giggling and pawing at Mikey's direction, a clear signal to Tang Shen that these creatures meant no harm towards her or her child. The woman calmed down significantly and kept her eyes on the turtles in front of her.

"Are you aliens…or Yokai?" She asked with a hint of caution.

"We're…friendly Yokai." Donnie answered, placing a hand to his plastron. "And we're here to talk to you, Tang Shen…we promise we won't hurt you or Miwa."

A short while later, the Turtles found themselves at the apartment Shen lived in, much to their surprise. They figured she would be living in the dojo with Splinter, but perhaps this was where he lived as well, or they kept it in case anything happened to the dojo. It wasn't big, but it was enough to do for the couple and their daughter; not many apartments in Japan seemed to be huge like the ones in New York. While Raph, Donnie, and Mikey sat to the side in the kitchen, Leo took the liberty of cradling Miwa in his large arms while Shen had her focus on the cutting board on the counter.

"I was raised in Fukuoka, but my grandfather is Chinese. I moved here to be closer to Yoshi." Shen began, grabbing a nearby cucumber and cutting it into thin pieces. When she spotted Michelangelo carelessly gnawing on the edge of the table, she chuckled and placed the cutting board with cucumber slices in front of him. "I've heard Yokai are always hungry. That's why I made a meal all Kappas love."

The blue-masked turtle blinked. "What's a Kappa?"

"Turtle Yokai." The woman answered. "And your favorite food is cucumber."

Mikey curled his nose, staring at the cucumber slices as though they were hot coals. No cheese? No crust? No tomato sauce or pepperoni to compliment them? "Cucumber? Little known fact that our favorite food is pizza! Thick crust, thin crust, no crust, hook a turtle up!"

Shen seemingly ignored Mikey's rambling about pizza, even when he began stuffing pieces of cucumber into his mouth. "My grandmother told me the story of a Kappa that came out of the river as a young girl was fetching water. The Kappa terrified her, but the girl always carried cucumbers to ward off Yokai. The Kappa was so thankful, it told her of a great hurricane that would devastate her village. It ended up saving her people."

"That's right…and we want to save you, Tang Shen." The red-masked turtle spoke direly, raising up from his seat on the edge of the counter.

"Which is why we, um, Kappa, have come to talk." Donnie insisted. "We also bring you…dire news."

"You can't leave Hamato Yoshi." Leo spoke directly, narrowing his eyes and curling his arms protectively around Miwa. "He's a good man…Oroku Saki is EVIL."

Shen shook her head, frowning at such an accusation. "No…Saki is a good man. I don't believe he is evil."

"Shen, if you choose Oroku Saki, the entire world itself could be at grave risk." The purple-masked turtle spoke again, this time with great insistence. "Take it from us…the Kappa brothers."

Shen still remained unconvinced of the claim that her childhood friend had a shred of evil in him. "Yoshi is too dedicated to ninjitsu to raise a family…he is putting his own interests ahead of what is best for Miwa."

"That's not true!" Mikey argued as he stuffed the last of the cucumber into his mouth. "Splinter loves little Miwa; he's crazy about the both of you! Who could resist a little cutie like Miwa?"

This time, the woman's expression softened. True, Yoshi did care very much for her and their daughter, but he also had too much love for the dojo to clash with his love for his wife and child. Maybe the both of them were being selfish; she wanted Yoshi to leave his lineage behind for her own desires to travel to America. While she wanted Miwa to be safe and not deal with the harshness that came with the life of a ninja, that didn't mean she wanted her daughter to be devoid of knowledge of her family history. Now Shen felt conflicted on what to do…

"…I don't know who I will choose." She admitted quietly. "I must do what's best for my daughter."

Donnie happened to take another glance at his T-Phone when Shen looked away…and to his horror, the image of April slowly faded from the group picture, just as Casey's did before. Things were only going to get worse if they couldn't convince Shen of Saki's ulterior motives; it wouldn't be long before THEY ceased existing altogether. It would probably even end up that Splinter would be killed and Saki would still become Shredder and take over the world, April and her father would be Kraang experiments, and the entire Earth would be terraformed into another Dimension X. What could any of them possibly say to make her see the truth? Something erupted from his heart, and he felt the need to speak again.

"Shen…" He began, stuffing away his T-Phone and taking a deep breath. "If Saki really cared about you, then he wouldn't want to break up the union between you and Yoshi. Listen…for a long time, I had feelings for a girl who didn't have the same feelings for me, and I foolishly thought that if I kept pushing and pushing, she would have no choice but to like me back. Unfortunately, I never gave any consideration about what she felt or that she possibly had her heart for someone else. It took a while, but I finally understood that I shouldn't try to sway her to like me in that fashion…so I let her go. If…if Saki really loves you like he says he does, then he'll understand that he needs to let you go and let you enjoy life with your husband and daughter. Take it from me…"

The shock on Shen's face was obvious to all of them, except for the now-slumbering Miwa. Would this be what they needed to finally convince the woman to stay with Yoshi? The other turtles found themselves taken aback as well by Donnie using the example of him and April to basically state that Saki only cared about his own selfish feelings than what served better for her. But just to be sure she was convinced…

"Follow your heart, Tang Shen." Raph stated, the firmness in his voice clear. "You know who the better man is."

Once that was out in the open, Shen glanced away and seemed to contemplate all the things said to her. After a few moments, she simply gathered the cutting board from the table and spoke, "Please…let me get you some more cucumbers."

The other turtles sat shocked that she seemed to simply brush off their warnings…all except for Donatello. To the genius turtle, the look in her eyes spoke volumes, and what he saw made a smile ghost his face. They still had work to do to make sure things turned out the way they should, but one thing was obvious to him.

 _She's chosen Yoshi._

* * *

After departing Shen's apartment, the Turtles found out that something bigger than the woman's inner struggle started coming to fruition. It wasn't exactly shown to them how, but just as they learned from the stories in their childhood, Saki came to a shrine belonging to the Hamato Clan…now clad in a hakama bearing the Foot Clan symbol. Just as they predicted-and feared-Saki discovered he was not a blood-member of the Hamato Clan, but the last-surviving member of the long-thought-dead Foot Clan, and he made himself busy gathering followers amongst the Hamato grunts. More than likely, he was the one responsible for the sudden death of Hamato Yuuta that evening; perhaps he killed the old man after hearing the truth of his lineage. And now he would kill Splinter if he had his way…

Not if they could help it. Before Saki-Shredder-could step away from the now-burning shrine, the Turtles appeared, the flames causing them to be shadowed and appear even more frightening than before. The grunts backed away at the sight, but Saki simply glared at them. They surprised him before, but not this time…and they certainly wouldn't get in the way of his plans.

"Finish them!" The man who would become Shredder commanded before walking off. "I have business to attend to."

The grunts drew their blades, and the Turtles drew their weapons in response. They had to get rid of these guys quick before Shredder could find Splinter and kill him…or worse, kill him AND Tang Shen. While they wouldn't kill these grunts, they had to find a way to drive them off…and that gave them an idea. Since everyone around here thought of them as Yokai…maybe they should start acting the part.

At first, they charged and knocked the poor saps down to the ground, but they quickly hopped around the stone stands around the shrine, generating their third eyelids, and began laughing maniacally. Watching the grunts begin shaking in their suits made them want to laugh harder, and so they did. Mikey added extra effect by wrapping his kurisagama chain around his arms like a sinister apparition of Charles Dickens lore, and Donnie climbed onto his Bo staff, hanging off of it like a spider monkey. Leo and Raph settled for crawling on all fours like feral beasts.

One of the grunts began babbling in Japanese, warning the others to run before the Yokai stole their souls before throwing a random cucumber at Mikey's head. Of course, Mikey proceeded to bring the cucumber to his mouth and swallow it whole. "Hey, I'm starting to get a taste for these things!"

Leo climbed onto the stone gate leading to the shrine, holding his swords in the air and shouting, "That's right, puny ninja! We Yokai will steal all yours souls…THROUGH YOU BUTT! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

That was all it took for the grunts to scream, minus Mikey going so far as to ticking one's rear, and flee the burning shrine. When they were sure they were gone, Raph climbed down from his post and asked his brother in disbelief, "Through you butt!?"

"What? It comes from Japanese legend!" Leo argued. When he turned his head towards the pathway to the dojo, he went back to his serious mask and commanded, "Come on, let's head for the dojo!"

As the brothers bolted for the dojo to stop Shredder, their hearts raced when they saw a growing cloud of smoke in the distance; smoke that didn't come from the shrine. That was a clear sign that Splinter and Shredder were locked in combat…they just hoped they weren't too late. After all, if Splinter died, they wouldn't exist…even if it meant some sacrifices had to be made. When they were just about to the stone path into the dojo, the Turtles watched in horror as none-other than Tang Shen bolted into the burning building…to save her husband.

"Tang Shen!" Mikey called in vain. "Tang Shen, NO!"

"Shen, wait!" Raph shouted, going for the door only to be blocked by falling debris. "We gotta get in there!"

While the others struggled to get into the dojo, Leo stopped when he heard frightened wails nearby. He turned his head and saw, shielded underneath a stone decoration, little Miwa, crying desperately for her mother. The lead turtle thought for a moment about saving Miwa, thus changing the future and allowing her to be with her real father in her teenage years…but he knew it wasn't meant to be. As much as he wanted to save her, he knew he wasn't supposed to; destiny already decided she would become Karai and that she would have to discover her lineage the hard way. Thus, with unshed tears in his eyes, he left the infant alone and went after his brothers.

All they could hear was shouting and struggling between Splinter and Shredder, and they hoped they could keep the latter from delivering a death blow. But the four froze when they heard another voice suddenly break through the shouting and the roaring flames.

"PLEASE STOP!"

What followed next was a sound the four would never forget, and would more than likely have nightmares over. At that moment, they heard the sickening sound of blades ripping through clothing, flesh, muscle, and bone…an indicator that Shredder struck Tang Shen down. They could hear the agonized scream coming from Splinter, followed by Shredder desperately calling Shen's name in the realization of what he did. Whatever happened next had Shredder clutching his face and running out of the dojo; so this was how the monster scarred his face and lost his eye. From what Leo and Donnie predicted, this would be the moment Shredder found Miwa and dubbed her Karai…kidnapping her from her father. But they had another matter to attend to. Leo and Raph wasted no time in digging through the debris and pulling out an unconscious Splinter, dragging him out of the burning building. Donnie and Mikey sorted through the rest of the debris…only to find the slightly-burned, clearly-dead body of Tang Shen. The freckled turtle gasped, tears beginning to pool in his eyes, while the genius turtle gritted his teeth and stared at the deceased woman in tremendous grief. He knew this was the cost in preserving their future…an innocent life for so many others.

Why couldn't it have been different?

Once Splinter remained secured outside the dojo, the Turtles went back to the tree line and watched their sensei regain consciousness. What they witnessed next pained them to no end…the man woke up, clutching a small blossom, and immediately began to weep as he remembered what happened.

"SHEN!"

They couldn't watch this any longer. One-by-one, the brothers disappeared into the darkness of the forest, leaving Hamato Yoshi to grieve over the loss of his wife and daughter…at the hands of the man he called his brother.

* * *

Morning came, but none of the Turtles wanted to celebrate saving Splinter. It was good that they did save him and preserve their own future, but why did it have to come at the cost of Shen dying and Miwa being taken by Shredder? Why couldn't there have been an alternative that would've allowed the woman to live and the family be together? Donatello stared at the remains of the fire they built, contemplating those questions, before pulling out his T-Phone and staring at their group picture. To his bittersweet relief, April and Casey rematerialized into the picture as if it were never altered.

"Everything's back the way it should be…finally." He murmured with as much enthusiasm as a dead fish.

"Except we're thousands of miles from home and stuck seventeen years in the past." Raph griped, keeping his arms crossed to hide his own grief. "How're we gonna get home!?"

Before anyone could offer a possible answer or some shred of hope, a light laminated above them…and dropping down in front of them was the one and only Renet. The Timestress clearly looked exhausted, as they could see a few stray blonde hairs poking out from underneath her helmet. Bags made their home under her eyes, too; how long did she go without sleep? Those questions weren't important, though…they had to know WHY they were here.

"Where've you been!? We've been stuck here for days!" The temperamental turtle barked at the girl.

Ignoring Michelangelo giving her a hug, Renet tiredly explained, "It's not my fault, really! I've spent, like, the last six months trying to find you guys!"

"…Why, Renet?" The lead turtle asked in a cracking voice. "Why did we come here? Of all times? Of all places?"

"…It was the Staff." The Timestress answered, glancing at it. "It brought you here…to make sure Splinter survived."

"Wait…so it's always been like this?" The genius turtle questioned, awe in his voice that hid his pain over the situation. "We were destined to come here…and save Splinter's life?"

Raph clasped his hands over his head and let out a groan of frustration. "Can we just go home already!? I'm so sick of time travel!"

Renet decided to overlook the warrior's anger and smiled, holding the Time Staff up high. "No problem. Future New York…here we come!"

As the Time Staff glowed in preparation to send them back to their own time, something began happening. The others were all right, but sparks began encircling Donatello, causing him to wear an expression of shock and start struggling to get free. Renet gasped and shook the Time Staff to stop the strange event, but it proved to be no use.

"Renet, what's happening!?"

"It's another interference in the time stream! Donatello, hold on, I'll try to stop it-"

Mid-sentence, Renet, Leo, Raph, and Mikey found themselves on the roof of the building they were on before this mess…but Donnie couldn't be found. The brothers frantically looked around the surrounding vicinity, hoping to see him, and couldn't find a shred of him anywhere. The Timestress grimaced and stared down at the Time Staff in fear and apprehension.

"What…just happened?" Leo asked lowly. "W-Where's Donnie?"

"What the heck did that thing to ta him!?" Raph growled, not caring that Mikey restrained him from grabbing Renet by the shoulders and shaking her like a ragdoll. "Where'd he go!?"

"Renet, will Donnie be okay?" Mikey stared up at the girl in fear. "Where is he?"

Renet sighed, suddenly realizing what happened and why it happened. "Not where, Mikey… _when_. I-I think I know where he is…"

* * *

Donatello yelped as he finally rematerialized, only to crash through a few tree branches and hit the ground with a thud. Groaning, he got to his hands and knees and held his head, feeling raindrops hit his skin and soak into the fabric of his gear. Last time he checked, it wasn't raining in New York, and it certainly didn't have so much grass and so many trees. He finally opened his eyes and looked to see his location…a forest surrounded by a large creek. The rumble of thunder woke him up enough to make him get to his feet and get underneath the large tree.

"This…this isn't New York." He mumbled, still rubbing his head. "So where am I? Scratch that…WHEN am I?"

"Ugh, I can't believe we're getting hit by rain! Well, let's not let it ruin our camping trip, okay?"

"We're not gonna get sick, are we? I don't wanna take that icky cough syrup again!"

Donnie froze at the voices coming from the distance. His body started creeping out from under the tree and closer to where the sound came from while remaining hidden. That first voice…he knew that voice anywhere…it was Cheyloe. But what was Cheyloe doing out of the city? And who was she talking to about a camping trip? When the genius turtle finally reached another set of trees, he peered from behind one and saw a bewildering sight.

There stood Cheyloe, holding a coat over her head as the rain came down. Strange…her hair was suddenly down to her shoulders and her bangs weren't covering the right side of her face. She also had on camping attire and held a flannel coat over her head as she walked towards a red tent. But that wasn't what struck Donnie the most…what struck him the most was that she wasn't alone. Walking next to her was a much smaller figure also holding a coat over their head. He watched the two walk to the tent and Chey unzip the front of it to permit them entry. The first to start heading into the tent was the smaller figure, but they took the liberty of removing the coat from above them…and that's when Donnie got a look at the familiar face.

"…Embry!?"

* * *

 **How do you like this little cliffhanger? As you may have guessed, Donnie's traveled to the time when little Embry is still alive, and he sees a younger Cheyloe. So, will he try to talk with Embry as he did with Tang Shen? Stay tuned and you'll find out!**


	31. Embry

**Author's Note: Well, I certainly had this updated fast, huh? Continuing from the cliffhanger, Donnie has traveled back in time discovers none-other than Embry, the boy who was once under Cheyloe's care. Donnie has the opportunity to change the future, but at what cost? Will he try to change it or be unable to even attempt it? Well, read and find out! Read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 31: Embry

Donatello couldn't believe it…he couldn't believe he was staring at Embry Karnes, alive and well. Cheyloe didn't look very young, but he only had to look at Embry to know he was in the past, but how far in the past remained a mystery. Staying hidden behind the trees, the genius turtle observed them entering the tent to call it a day, leaving him alone in the cold rain with little shelter. He instantly stifled a sneeze and began gathering his thoughts, namely on where exactly he ended up and how he would get out of here.

"Anna said that Embry died…that he was murdered by someone." Donnie murmured to himself. He hugged his arms around his plastron to keep any shivers at bay and kept on pondering out-loud. "So this has to be at least two years into the past. My brothers and I were brought back in time to save Splinter, so I'm pretty sure there's a reason I'm here…but why just me?"

He thought more about what this reason could be. If he was sent back in time to the time frame before the boy's death, was it possible he was here to prevent it? Or would he just end up witnessing the tragedy without being able to interfere? Sadly, he and his brothers couldn't do anything to keep Tang Shen from dying…but maybe he could do something for Embry, both for his sake and Cheyloe's sake.

"ACHOO!" Donnie finally sneezed, his body now shivering like crazy. "I-I've got to find some shelter now before I get sick." As he went to search for some sort of cave, or opening in a tree, or even an abandoned tent, he suddenly glanced back at the red tent and stopped. He couldn't exactly talk to the girl he would end up meeting two years or so from now…but maybe he could talk to someone else. Both to maybe warn the boy, and to learn more about him since Cheyloe wouldn't bring him up.

"…Tomorrow, I need to talk to him."

The genius turtle kept this resolve to himself as he finally stumbled upon an opening in a large, old oak tree. Shuffling inside, he had to resign to sleeping sitting up, having his arms crossed over his plastron and his head lowered. One thing was for certain…it was going to be a LONG night.

* * *

Donatello forced his eyes open when he saw rays of sunlight beaming in his direction, forcing him to get out of the cramped tree opening and stretch his stiff limbs. The ground underneath him proved to still be moist, so he had to be careful not to track many footprints in case hunters were nearby. The genius turtle let out a loud yawn and scratched his shell, blinking the sleep out of his tired eyes and trying to remember what he had to do today. He certainly wasn't going to sleep inside a tree again; he needed to find a cave or just pray it wouldn't rain again.

"All right…I guess I should find some food and figure out a plan." He muttered, noticing the creek in the distance. "If I could find some wire, I could catch a few fish…whatever fish I can find in a creek."

As he began searching for any abandoned fishing wire, he heard a feminine voice call out, "Stay by the creek, Embry! And be back in time for lunch!"

"Okay, Cheyloe!"

It was Cheyloe and Embry…and Embry was going to be by himself for a little while. This was his chance, he had to talk to the boy…but how keen would the child be in talking to a tall, humanoid turtle? Maybe he would be receptive, or maybe he wouldn't since kids his age were still scared of monsters under the bed. The genius turtle knew that he had to take a chance and try to get the boy to listen to him without letting it slip that he was from the future. He waited for a moment until he saw Embry edging towards the creek, slipping off a pair of sandals and jumping around in the mud, to make his move. Using the trees as cover, he climbed and hopped the branches like the local squirrels until he housed himself right above the boy.

Three…two…one…JUMP.

Donnie leapt off the branch and landed right in front of Embry, making the boy fall backwards into a pile of mud and rocks. Donnie could see the fear in his eyes, looking at him like he would eat the child any second from now. The child opened his mouth to let out a loud scream, but halted when the strange creature held his finger to his mouth in a shushing motion. His bright brown eyes stayed trained on the mutant as the latter picked up a smooth stone from the embankment, showed it to him, and turned to the creek. The turtle drew his arm back and swiftly threw the stone, making it skip four times before plopping into the water.

"…" Embry stayed silent, but his eyes were now filled with awe instead of fear. When he looked back at the creature, he offered him a small smile; that had to mean he was good. The child got back to his feet, stared at the creek, and finally spouted to the turtle, "You gotta do that again! I can never get it to skip! How'd you do it!?"

Donnie couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's enthusiasm; maybe some of it passed on to Cheyloe. "It's not as hard as it looks, Embry. I'll teach you."

Embry blinked. "How'd you know my name, Lizard Man? Can you read people's minds like Miss Anna can?"

"I can't read minds, but it would be pretty neat to do so…I, uh, just heard someone calling your name earlier. And I'm not a lizard, I'm a turtle…well, a humanoid turtle." Donnie explained hastily. "I mean, that is your name, isn't it?"

The child nodded his head quietly. "That was Chey calling my name. She always tells me to be careful 'cause I'm little, but I'm not a baby! I know how to be careful by the creek and watch out for bad people! Wait…you're not a bad person, are you?"

The purple-masked turtle sat down on the embankment and hugged his knees, still smiling at the boy and his energy. "I'm not a bad person; I can promise you that. I'm actually here to talk to you. But first…I'm getting a little hungry. If you have some string on you, maybe I can catch some fish…"

"Um…I've got a thingy of twine in my pocket. I carry it around 'cause Chey ran out of room in our bags. But I'll only give it to you if you teach me how to skip a rock, okay?"

Well, looks like Donnie didn't have much of a choice in this matter.

* * *

"…I'm actually half-Cherokee. My gramma was one of the elders where my mommy came from. Mommy didn't stay long, though…everybody got mad at her 'cause she met my daddy outside the tribe. So we went an' got a place to live inside a big, brick building near Myrtle Beach."

Donatello took another bite of some trail mix Embry gave him while he waited for his freshly-caught fish to cook. Thanks to the twine Embry gave him, his Bo staff, and some worms, he caught a couple of fish from the creek and decided to make a meal out of them. "So, how come you're not with your parents now?"

Embry frowned, copying Donnie in hugging his knees to his chest, not caring that he now had mud on his arms. "Well…I woke up one morning really sick; they couldn't find out what was wrong. Then the next day, everywhere I went, the power would go out…it really scared my mommy and daddy. They were so scared that I ran away…that's when this scary lady found me an' took me to Cheyloe. The scary lady was really nice, though, 'cept she had an eyepatch…that's what made her scary."

"Do you like being with Cheyloe?" The genius turtle asked.

"Uh-huh! She's really great, like my own big sister! Actually, she kinda acts like a mommy to me, but I don't mind. But you know what? You're really nice, too, and I don't even know your name yet!" The child suddenly looked down at the ground again, deep in thought. "But I had to be really careful 'round Chey…whenever I got near her, she couldn't see, and the scary lady's hand got really wrinkly. They say that's my power…and that's why I have to wear this bracelet."

"Power negation…" Donnie muttered, putting his hand to his chin as he stared at the clearly-electronic bracelet around the boy's wrist. "So that's what made the power go out around you, and I'm guessing that bracelet suppresses your power until you can learn to control it. I have to say, you have a really unique gift, Embry."

"I guess so." The boy sighed. "Chey says we're camping to have fun, but I really know why we're here. We're just out here to get away from the bad people who hate my power. Everybody says my power can make a…a vac…"

"Vaccine?"

Embry gave a quick nod. "That's the word. They say it can make other people with powers feel better, 'specially those that look like they're sick or turn into monsters when they get their powers. But Chey told me some bad people don't wanna be better…they wanna keep their powers and hurt everybody else 'cause they can. I don't want them to hurt people like it's fun! I don't want them to hurt me and Chey, either!"

Donnie didn't know what to say to calm Embry down, because he couldn't imagine being actively hunted down over possibly providing a cure for superhuman abilities. Why wouldn't anyone want it, especially those who could be horribly scarred or disfigured by having powers? Of course, maybe some wanted to keep their powers just for the sake of feeling unique…and of course, some wanted to keep them for the sake of hurting people. He knew now it wasn't like the world portrayed in Mikey's Justice Force comics; the villains would actually and easily resort to killing children if it meant self-preservation.

"I'm sorry about that, Embry…but you don't have to be afraid of them." Donnie began, placing a hand on top of Embry's head and ruffling his dark-brown hair. "You can't let the bad guys control your life, and I know you won't let them win. If you want a cure to be made from you so you can help people, then that's a very honorable thing to do. Besides…you've got someone great like Cheyloe looking after you."

"She is great…are you sure you don't know her?" Embry asked, now in a sing-song tone. "You act like you know a lot about her; are you a secret crush?"

"N-No, no, of course not!" The genius turtle sputtered. Once he calmed down, he picked up a stone and stared at it, rubbing his thumb over it. "I just know what it means to want to protect someone you love…I do everything I can to make sure my father and three brothers are always safe, even if they don't always give gratitude…I know we all love each other. I can certainly tell that Cheyloe loves you just as much, and she'll do anything for you."

"Oh…" The boy stared at the creek as he picked up a pebble and carelessly tossed it into the flowing water, contemplating everything Donnie said, even if he didn't understand all of it. "…I'd do anything for her, too. I wish I wasn't so little, then I could do more. I could fight the bad superhumans myself and protect Chey."

"Whatever you do Embry…always follow your heart, even if your brain and your heart get in an argument." The genius turtle spoke, patting the boy's head and making him giggle. "I think you can be brave and do what you think is right…just remember not to let the bad guys get their way and make you scared."

The child blinked at that, staring at his hands for a moment in some sort of search for determination, and looked the turtle in the eyes. "Is it still okay to run away sometimes?"

"Mm-hmm. If things get too tough, it's okay to run away and try again later. Just know that even in hard times, stand up for what you believe in, and stand up for the people you love and want to protect. If you do that, you can overcome just about anything."

"Embry! Lunch time!"

The two of them turned their heads in the direction of Cheyloe's voice, and Embry shot up from his seat near the creek. "I gotta go eat lunch. Wait 'till Chey hears about you an' meets you!"

"Wait, Embry!" Donnie halted him, making the boy jump. "It's…it's best that Cheyloe doesn't know about me. I need to stay your little secret for a while, okay?"

"But how come?" Embry pouted at not being able to tell about his new friend; why wouldn't he want to meet Cheyloe? When he stared into the terrapin's eyes, he didn't really know why, but he felt whatever the reason it had to be important. "If you don't wanna tell me why, it's okay…Chey says it's not nice to pry when people don't want you to."

Donnie instantly smiled. "You're a good kid, Embry. Now you'd better get back before Chey worries about you. By the way…my name's Donnie."

Once the child left, the turtle stared back at his now-fully-cooked fish and pulled it off the fire he made; Embry must've known about the brunette's powers due to his lack of intimidation towards the flames. After he got some food in his gut, he would keep watch over the tent and make sure the two slept in peace. He would be back here in the morning so Cheyloe wouldn't spot him, and he would possibly talk with Embry more, just for the sake of getting to know him.

Donatello didn't realize he wouldn't get that other chance as the day went on.

* * *

 _"Deep in the meadow, under the willow…a bed of grass, a soft green pillow…"_

Donatello listened from his perch in the trees as Cheyloe sang a soft melody to Embry in preparation for sleep. With the evening seemingly clear, the two decided to get their sleeping bags out in the grass and slumber outside their precious tent. The turtle found himself getting sleepy hearing the brunette sing, but he fought to keep his eyes open and keep watch. Once they fell asleep, he would go and find his own sleeping place where he couldn't be spotted. He glanced down and saw the boy's eyes drooping, making him withhold a giggle; no wonder Chey became so fond of him.

He started reminiscing of the old Japanese lullabies Splinter always sang to them when he and his brothers were babies; living in a cold, dark sewer would make it hard for tots to sleep, after all. Hearing Cheyloe sing actually surprised him…and it made him even more drawn to her. Once he got back to his original time, he wanted to ask her if she would sing for him, but maybe that would be too weird…yet he couldn't deny that he wanted badly to ask her. Now he looked down again and saw Embry finally asleep, and Chey kissing him on the forehead before closing her eyes.

"They're safe right now…" The genius turtle whispered, quietly leaping to a neighboring tree branch. "I'd better go find some shelter…"

It took a little while, but the terrapin managed to scout out a small cave away from the tree line. Finally, something better than a cramped tree to sleep in and no having stiff joints in the morning. He would just sleep here and keep watching over Cheyloe and Embry until Renet finally found him. But as he got ready to leap down from the old hickory tree branch he rested on, he spotted something. Coming up underneath him, he saw two young men walking together…and everything in Donnie screamed that these two were dangerous.

The first guy dressed in a ragged coat, jeans, and ski cap, and he constantly flicked an old Zippo lighter open and closed. The second guy sent off more alarm bells; he dressed in a hoodie that concealed most of his face, but it appeared almost as if his eyes glowed in the darkness, resembling the light of a full moon. Donnie instantly gulped and had a feeling he knew not who they were, but WHAT they were: superhumans…and not the friendly kind.

"This is a bad idea, Syzygy." The ragged guy mumbled, scratching at his scraggly face like a paranoid addict. "Are we really gonna pull this off?"

"We got a job ta do, Heat. We take th' kid an' girl out, and we get out." The guy called Syzygy spoke, his tone colder than ice. "What, ya gonna chicken out?"

"I-I just, I mean, are we really gonna kill a kid!? We can't be that desperate, man!"

"We either take 'im out, or we end up losin' our powers. Ya don't wanna go back ta bein' a nobody, do ya? A nobody that has ta take bull from everyone else an' barely scrape by?" The hooded male leaned forward towards the guy called Heat. "Ya don't want that, do ya?"

 _Syzygy? Heat? What kind of names are those?_ Donnie realized it when he remembered Mikey's Justice Force comics: just like superheroes, supervillains had code names, so these had to be aliases used by these two individuals. Not that it mattered now; they were going after Cheyloe and Embry AND planning on killing them! The turtle couldn't let that happen, even if it meant changing a future that wasn't meant to be changed. Question was, how would he fare against two superhumans?

"I'm gonna get 'em head-on. You'll be th' one makin' sure they don't escape. Torch th' whole forest if ya have to."

Donatello gasped when he heard that part of the plan. If these guys had their way, both Cheyloe and Embry would wind up murdered by these two lunatics. He wasn't going to let that happen…even if it meant he had to do the thing he hated: spill blood. With that determination, he blended into the shadows and began using his stealth to jump down to the ground and rush around the two young men.

"Shh! Did you hear that, man!?" Heat panicked, looking around wildly at the trees and shrubbery around them. "T-There's somethin' out there, man."

"Ya sure you ain't high again, Heat?" Syzygy questioned, clearly annoyed, until he heard rustling and something rushing. "Wait, I hear it, too…what is it?"

The rustling came to a dead stop, and the silence proved much more effective in disturbing the two superhumans. Their eyes glanced at all the scenery to find their mystery guest…and then they saw the tall, humanoid figure with white eyes blending into the darkness like a chameleon. Heat started panicking again, while Syzygy only sneered under his hood. If they got stopped by this freak, they wouldn't be able to accomplish their mission. The figure, actually Donatello, narrowed his eyes at the two vile beings and unsheathed his staff in preparation for battle.

"Heat, take care 'a this freak." Syzygy commanded. "I'm goin' after th' targets."

"But it's gonna rain soon! I'll be useless out here, man!" Heat argued, trembling at the shadowy figure. "You take care of 'im!"

"Well, that's why ya HURRY. Now just do it!"

Donnie knew he wouldn't be able to stop that Syzygy guy while trying to halt this Heat guy at the same time…so he had to settle for taking on the latter. Cheyloe could probably take on the former on her own, but not both of them; he just needed to keep this guy from setting their camp on fire. After Syzygy disappeared, Donnie proceeded to do what he could do best: scare the living daylights out of this scraggly, paranoid freak. That would involve more rushing around the trees and shrubs, and throwing in a dash of mad cackling as he did with the Yokai charade.

Heat got desperate, shaking as he used his lighter to generate a fire ball in his hand. "S-Show your face, you freak! I-I mean it! I-I can kill you!" The shadowy figure bolted past him, making him shriek and carelessly tossed the fireball in a patch of grassless dirt. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

"…What? I actually think it is funny." Donnie spoke in a dark tone. "It's funny seeing you about to pee your pants like a frightened little baby." He appeared behind heat and started breathing on the back of his neck. "I mean, only a coward would be so low as to try and kill a defenseless child, right? I don't think you need to answer that."

Heat screamed and turned around…only to find nothing there. He had another fireball ready to chuck at this creature, but as he turned around, it quickly dissipated as he fell to the ground in terror. "W-What kind 'a superhuman ARE YOU!?" He asked, scooting away on his butt as far as he could.

"Oh…I'm no superhuman." Donnie started to step out of the darkness and reveal himself, shell and all, to the cowardly young man, keeping his third eyelids up and baring his teeth like a rage-filled animal. "I'm a full…blooded…MUTANT."

That was all it took to make Heat scream bloody murder and flee the scene, abandoning all plans to torch any campsites or kill anybody for selfish preservation. Donnie sighed and lowered his third eyelids, now having to turn his attention to that Syzygy guy…but he was nowhere in sight. Oh no...he had to find him and stop him before-

The turtle froze when he heard screaming and shouting in the distance; it was Cheyloe and Embry! Fearing the worst, the turtle sheathed his Bo staff and immediately went running to help the duo, ignoring the thunder above him and rain drops steadily pelleting his green skin.

* * *

"Embry, come on! This way!"

Embry did the best he could to keep from falling as Cheyloe led him by the hand through the trees. They woke up from their slumber when the brunette detected a foreign scent, and looked to their horror to find Syzygy approaching them. The hooded superhuman pulled out what looked like a machete from his back, and just the look of it indicated to her that it wasn't an ordinary blade…it was coated with pure mercury. If being cut wasn't enough, mercury would surely do the trick in offing someone. The last thing she would do, however, was let Embry be harmed by this psychopath. If they could just make it to the clearing, they would be okay. That didn't mean they would get away unscathed, as she held the right side of her now-bleeding face thanks to Syzygy making a few jagged cuts when he hit her.

Unbeknownst to them, Donatello bolted through the trees and rain, attempting to reach them and stop Syzygy from doing the unthinkable. It was now he wished he had Cheyloe's superb sense of smell to track them, or even planted a tracking roach on Embry, but he couldn't do either. The best he could do was just find them the old-fashioned way: using his eyes and ears. As he ran through, he suddenly heard a plop and a body fall to the ground. "Hang on, you two, I'm coming…I just hope I can make it in time!"

For Cheyloe, she tripped over an exposed root and found her foot stuck in a small quagmire formed by days of continuous rain. Embry managed to avoid it, to her relief, but that left her a sitting duck for Syzygy. As she fought to get her foot free, she turned to the boy and shouted, "Embry, run, go! Save yourself!"

"But Chey-"

"Just do it! Get as far away from here as you can! Don't worry about me!"

The boy fought back tears, his now-soaked hair hiding the pain in his expression, before he obeyed the brunette and started running. He didn't care that he lost his sandals in his frantic sprint; he just had to listen and get away. He failed to notice Donnie approaching from the opposite side and getting into the trees, relieved to have spotted the boy. The turtle prepared himself to swoop down, scoop him up, and go rescue Cheyloe…until he watched Embry stop in his tracks. The child slowly clenched his hands into fists, shaking like crazy, and turning his head to where Cheyloe and Syzygy were. He was beyond scared, beyond terrified, but he forced himself to remember the words Donnie told him earlier that day.

 _"_ _Whatever you do…always follow your heart, even if your brain and your heart get in an argument."_

 _"_ _Stand up for the people you love and want to protect."_

Donnie didn't know why Embry suddenly stopped, but found himself panicking when he saw the child running in the direction towards where the danger was. The turtle ran forward and reached out for him, but the boy didn't even notice him. "Embry, wait, STOP!"

As for Cheyloe, she finally managed to get her foot free after much struggle, but as she prepared to get up and run…edging closer to her was Syzygy and his blade. She knew right then and there that she was about to die at his hands, but at least she knew Embry would be away from this monster. At least she knew she wouldn't die in vain. When the hooded superhuman raised his blade, she squeezed her eyes shut in preparation for the inevitable, not noticing the humanoid turtle getting behind one of the large trees nearby and getting out a staff. She also didn't pay attention to the sound of small footsteps rushing in front of her until-

 **SHNK**

Donatello's eyes shot wide at what he just witnessed, gasping loudly from his hiding place. Cheyloe slowly opened her eyes when she felt no pain, or nothing at all entering her body. But once she opened them, she regretted doing so. Right in front of her, standing and facing a bewildered Syzygy…was Embry, the machete having entered the middle of his body. The boy had his arms stretched out and a look of anger on his face, having effectively played a human shield. Another key detail, one Donnie noticed, was the suppressor bracelet having been ripped off of his wrist.

Choking back several sobs and staring crazy-eyed at Embry having taken the blow, Cheyloe let out an ear-piercing scream when she drew her gun and began shooting Syzygy nonstop. The hooded superhuman immediately fell to the ground, having been killed by the second shot, but the brunette kept on emptying her pistol into him. Syzygy's body just twitched and jumped with each shot, but it wasn't enough for Cheyloe…until she heard Embry speak as he himself fell onto his back.

"C-Cheyloe…stop…" The boy gurgled out when blood flowed freely from his mouth. "H-He's dead…stop…"

The brunette halted in her overkill to lean over the boy and pull the accursed machete out of his body. She examined the wound and found blood flooding out; his aorta must've been nicked. She had to work to save him, he was too young to die! "E-Embry…why'd you do that? I'm supposed to protect you! Y-You didn't have to do this!"

The boy actually managed to smile, even when knowing he was about to die. "I-I wanted to…you always protected me…it was my turn to protect you…" His eyes went up to the sky as rain drops pelleted his face. "I…I love so much…I didn't want him to hurt you…so I took it for you… The rain must mean…everyone in Heaven is crying…right?"

Cheyloe frantically shook her head as tears cascaded down her cheeks. "N-No, no, no! I'm not going to let you die! I-If I can just drain the excess blood and patch the wound-"

"It…won't work…I'm not…scared of dying, Chey." Embry comforted, his breathing becoming slow and his eyes half-closed. "D-Don't be sad…we'll…see each other again…one day…" He reached out with the last bit of his strength and clasped her hand with his small one. "Bye…Cheyloe…"

Donatello watched from afar as the boy's chest stopped rising, his head lolling to the side while his eyes remained half-open. The turtle stood petrified, ignoring the tears soaking through his mask and some escaping down his cheek. He watched in sorrow as Cheyloe pressed her forehead to the child's and sobbed uncontrollably, then letting out an agonized scream to accompany her wails. It was too much for the terrapin to bear…he had to go back to the woods and fully absorb what happened…and having to process watching the death of the bravest child he could've ever met. Earlier he knew the Time Staff sent him here for a reason…but he didn't want it to be THIS reason. He didn't want it to be to see a kid sacrifice himself to protect Chey from some madman, and he essentially felt he influenced Embry to do so. He was the one who told Embry to be brave, but he didn't want him to play the sacrificial lamb!

He didn't even realize he reached the old oak tree until he saw the familiar, cramped opening. He didn't care about it being uncomfortable anymore, and he found himself crawling inside to dry off and be alone with his thoughts. Finally, the dam burst, and he found himself lowering his head, hugging his knees to his chest, and letting out heartbroken sobs. Embry was gone, and he bore witness to how he left his short life on Earth; worst of all, he knew the boy wouldn't come back and Cheyloe would blame herself from this day forward.

"…Donatello?"

Donnie immediately looked up from his shelter and gazed upon a familiar face. "…R-Renet? W-What took you so long…I just…just…"

It pained Renet to see the soon-to-be-legendary inventor in despair, and she already knew why. The least she could do right now before sending him home was getting him out of that cramped tree. "Donatello…I'm so sorry you came here…that you had to witness that."

"Let me guess…" The genius turtle sniffled. "The Staff brought me here for a reason?"

"Two reasons, actually." The Timestress noted, her tone somber. "The first was, of course, to make sure Cheyloe's life was spared…and then there's the second reason. You may find this hard to believe, but you were also sent here to make sure Embry became your guardian spirit."

Donnie's tear-filled eyes widened. "My…m-my guardian spirit? H-How'd you know about that?"

"It's written in legend, of course, even your spirit quests. You established a bond with Embry when you came here, and in his death and after you met Cheyloe, he attached himself to you, and he's watching over you. Like I said, it's hard to believe, but-"

"But…I basically told him to go get himself killed!" Donnie argued in a broken tone. "When I told him to be brave, I didn't intend to have him go be a human shield and throw himself in front of that maniac! It's all MY fault he's dead now!"

Renet shook her head, and Donnie found himself stunned by the amount of seriousness on her face compared to the fangirl he and his brothers first met. "No, Donatello…what Embry did was by his own choice. He loved Cheyloe so much he was willing to sacrifice himself to save her life. Though I'm like you in that I wish she didn't carry the guilt of it all…"

"Renet…would there be an alternative to Embry surviving? Could he be saved?"

"He could be…but it would lead to something dire." Renet admitted, not caring that she was now soaked as she decided to break the rules and share the other alternate realities born from different choices. "If Embry survived, Cheyloe would've died, and he would become so bitter by her death…he would grow up and kill an innocent human, starting riots against superhumans and mutants everywhere. Even though you wanted to intervene, you knew you couldn't…except to give Embry the courage to face his fears. In other words…this is how it should be."

"That doesn't make me feel any better…" Donnie mumbled, getting up and letting out a sigh. "Just…take me home, Renet…please."

Renet gave a nod, silently raising the Time Staff in the air as a light enveloped them. Donnie didn't even have to blink before he and the Timestress arrived in present-day New York, on the very rooftop where they met. He turned and found his brothers rushing towards him with worried expressions; how long did he keep them waiting?

"Donnie, you're okay!" Leo shouted. "Where were you!? You've been gone for a whole hour!"

"Donnie…you okay, bro?" Mikey asked, staring at his brother's tear-stained face. "You've been crying…"

The genius turtle pushed his brothers away, wiping his eyes and walking in the direction of where Lunar Palace Apartments could be located. "I have to go do something, guys…I promise I'll come straight home. And Renet…thank you."

Renet gave a bittersweet smile, her heart still breaking for the purple-masked turtle. "You're welcome, Donatello…and take care, Turtle Warriors."

* * *

It seemed to take no time for Donatello to reach the ever-familiar balcony and glass door he came to know by heart. A part of him hoped that she wouldn't be home so he wouldn't have to talk to her about this, but trying to avoid the matter would do more harm than good. Swallowing a lump in his throat, the purple-masked turtle raised his fist and knocked on the glass three times to alert whoever was home. To his mix of relief and dread, Cheyloe emerged, wearing her pajamas and her hair damp from a shower, to answer the door and let him in.

"Oh, hey Donnie!" She greeted with a smile. "I didn't expect you over tonight. What brings you over?" It was then she took notice of his face, particularly his reddened eyes and stained mask. "Donnie, are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"Oh…never mind that, Cheyloe." The turtle assured, cursing himself for not giving his eyes time to clear up. "I-I just wanted to talk to you about something important."

The brunette tilted her head, but shrugged and turned to the kitchen to fix them both something to drink. "Well, what is it you want to talk about? You know I'm always all-ears! You haven't been crying because your brothers said something, have you?"

Donnie sighed, staring at her back while she hovered around the cupboard while preparing a long speech in his head. A long speech or awkward revelation wouldn't cut it, though; he just needed to be upfront about it. After a moment of silence, he finally answered bluntly, "Cheyloe, I know about Embry."

The brunette suddenly froze in place, and seconds later her shoulders began trembling. When she forced herself to turn around and face the turtle, the smile she plastered on disappeared and quivering lips replaced it. She kept going over and over in her mind how Donnie possibly knew about Embry; Anna or Kaitlyn one must've told him the story. Before she could confirm or deny anything about it, the genius turtle went on.

"I also know…that the happiness you display is just a front. Just…drop the cheerful act, okay? Don't force yourself to feel something you don't because you don't want us to worry. It's wearing you out; I can see it clear as day in your eyes." He licked his lips and added, "Cheyloe…it was beyond your control."

Tears began pooling in her eyes, and the brunette tried her best to keep them from spilling over. "…I could've done more…I could've saved him…but I couldn't move in time…" She slowly buried her face in her hand and choked out, "W-Why…did he have to j-jump in front of me a-and take that blow?"

Donnie grimaced. He wouldn't mention that he traveled back in time and witnessed the entire event. For now, he would just tell her that Anna told him the story; it wasn't a total lie. If he told her of what happened just a little bit ago, she would probably chastise him for not saving the boy. As much as he wanted to…he couldn't, just like he and his brothers couldn't save Tang Shen or keep Miwa from becoming Karai. All of it was beyond their control. "Cheyloe…when someone loves you so much, they're willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep them safe. He didn't die in vain…you're here to keep his memory alive; all the good times. You told me before I could talk to you about anything…well, it applies the other way around, too. Didn't we make that commitment?"

Silence followed between the two, and Donnie didn't know whether to comfort her or just leave her to deal with his words. He didn't get to make the choice when he found the brunette walking forward and hugging him. He didn't need to be told twice to hug her back and allow her to bury her face in his plastron and let out painful sobs. The genius turtle rested his chin on her head, rubbing her back in an up-and-down motion to soothe her, but even he couldn't hold back his own tears.

"Get it all out, Cheyloe…I'm not going anywhere."

They stayed like this for over two hours, even when their legs got tired, until the brunette finally slumped over in sleep. Not caring how unusual it felt to him, Donnie picked her up bridal-style and carried her to her room. He pulled back the covers of the bed and carefully tucked her in, pushing her hair out of her face so she wouldn't chew on it. Her alarm clock was already set, and she had a bottle of water…she would be okay right now. Sighing in knowing everything was set, the turtle didn't realize it until afterward that he leaned over and gingerly kissed her forehead. Compared to him, she was so warm and soft; how did she find joy in hugging someone with cold and slightly-scaly skin like him? But that wasn't an issue now…he just wanted to make sure she could find comfort in him, and vice-versa.

The time came to return home…and he knew he had quite a story to tell his brothers and father.

* * *

 **Do I need to hand out any tissues yet? Now we know what happened, and we know that Chey's cheerful personality is a total facade. And did you see the little hint of possible Cheytello I threw in there? All right, the next chapter will probably touch on Karai capturing the Turtles, and it's up to Splinter and two ladies to rescue them! Stay tuned!**


	32. Trappings

**Author's Note: Holy crud, this is my longest chapter. Well, it deals with "The Fourfold Trap", and we get some developing Cheytello too! Donnie's taken it upon himself to train Chey so she can be better in the self-defense department, and we also see tension rising between him and Leo. What happens when our turtles and heroines fall into danger thanks to a certain kunoichi? Well, read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 32: Trappings

"No, no, straighten your back more…that's it, much better. Now aim a punch at me!"

Cheyloe blew out a breath before drawing her bruised fist back and aiming for Donatello's plastron. He caught her fist and proceeded to turn her around and twist her arm behind her back, making her hiss in discomfort. From the corner of the dojo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo watched their genius brother and the brunette duking it out with all they had. It wasn't a fight born out of anger, however. Since Karai was still under the influence of Shredder's brain worm, she would more than likely go after them and anyone close to them again, and Donnie wanted Chey to be prepared. Thus, with Master Splinter's permission, he began teaching her a few techniques, since her basic self-defense skills and her superhuman abilities wouldn't be enough.

For Chey, it seemed to be basic training; getting stronger to protect her loved ones. In Donnie's eyes, however, he was giving her a form of therapy. The others agreed, especially after he recounted his tale of witnessing Embry's death. So instead of letting her keep it all in and put on a cheerful façade, the purple-masked turtle decided to let her unleash her long-buried turmoil in the form of punches and kicks. The brunette pulled loose from his hold and directed a kick at his head, only for him to block it, twist her leg, and pull her to the ground.

"Reflexes are better, but you still have to work on putting in more strength. Don't hesitate because it's me." The purple-masked turtle corrected with a wry smile, until he began clutching his head. "I wish my head would quit hurting, and you didn't even hit me."

"You're still recovering from being hit by that serum." Chey panted, getting up and rubbing at her knuckles. "Let's call it a night before one of us keels over, coach."

"After we get your knuckles iced. Wouldn't want your coworkers getting suspicious, right?" Donnie gently took her hand and led her to the kitchen. "Ice Cream Kitty can get you an ice pack in no time."

Once the duo left the dojo, the other turtles found themselves in awe about Donnie teaching Cheyloe some of their techniques…well, all except for Leo. What the blue-masked turtle really wanted was for his genius brother to get back to work on that antidote for the brain worm, and pronto. Ever since he realized Karai fell victim to that serum, he wanted nothing more than to cure her and get her back home to Splinter…but there was also a part of him that wanted her back for his own selfish reasons. Perhaps it was his own unresolved feelings that drove him to be frustrated with the situation and his brother, but he wouldn't say it out-loud. He would just put more focus on getting her back for his father's sake.

"You know, since Donnie witnessed 'that incident', he and Chey have gotten a lot closer, don't you think?" Mikey chirped, cheekily forming a heart-shape with his fingers. "Can you feel the loooove toooniiiight~"

Raph instantly responded by smacking him on the back of the head. "Knock it off, Cupid. They aren't into each other like that…at least, I don't think so. I mean, I know he's wantin' ta protect 'er, but…" He stopped himself and looked at his elder brother. "Whaddya think, Leo?"

"…I think Donnie needs to take a break from the self-defense teaching and start back on that brain worm antidote." Leo grumbled, getting up and staring at the photo of Splinter, Tang Shen, and baby Miwa. "Has he even been putting any effort into it? All he's done lately is teach Cheyloe how to do something she already knows! What about his family?"

"What YOU could do is stop obsessin' over Karai and think, Leo." Raph retorted as he stared at the picture as well. "Ya know that she poses a danger ta everyone we know, Leo, so Donnie teachin' Chey some new moves is smart. Settin' stuff on fire can only do so much, right?"

In the kitchen, Donnie squeezed a drop of Neosporin on a cut on Chey's knuckles before rubbing it in and putting the ice pack over it. She looked to be pretty roughed up, but he knew she dealt with worse. In fact, she didn't even seem fazed by the overall soreness in her body. "So, same time tomorrow night?"

"Well, of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world!" The brunette giggled before her blue-green eyes glanced back at the dojo. "Hey Donnie…has Leo been acting a little strange lately? He seems a little more agitated lately, and it's got me worried."

"Truthfully Cheyloe, he's been acting like this ever since Karai attacked us." Donnie admitted, grabbing a soda and sitting down. "He doesn't want to rest until that brain worm's out of her head…and he certainly doesn't want me to rest until I find the cure. Heck, he was so desperate to get one of those things he helped create a super-sized Shredder mutant! It's…well, it's bordering on obsession, and I'M supposed to be the obsessive one."

Chey gave a small sigh and played with the ice pack. "Honestly, if someone I cared about got one of those things put in their head, I'd probably go crazy over trying to cure them, too. I mean, how do we know those worms won't cause Karai permanent brain damage? At the same time…it's best not to rush the cure, or else it could do more harm than good. It's like at the hospital; if you rush a test and get the incorrect result, you could definitely kill someone."

"Tell that to Leo." Donnie scoffed, not caring whether or not any of his brothers heard that comment. Noticing the time, he got up and started walking towards the lab. "It's getting late…I'd better get to the lab. Want me to walk you home first?"

"It's all right; do what you need to do." The brunette smiled, taking the ice pack back to the freezer and grabbing her coat. "I'll be just fine getting home. Goodnight, Donnie!"

Donnie waved to her, and once she left he found himself alone with his thoughts. Since witnessing the death of Embry Karnes in the past, along with the demise of Tang Shen, the genius turtle found himself, to put it lightly, distracted. Having to deal with that Mega Shredder creature and being dumbed-down thanks to Mikey carelessly toying around in his lab didn't help matters, or Leo and Splinter breathing down his neck to find a cure for Karai. The only thing that seemed to bring him solace was giving Cheyloe fighting lessons or just listening to her opening up about Embry and what happened to him. He also got some reassurance from April, even Casey, and Raph and Mikey; the latter wanted back in his good graces after the Creepweed incident.

He opened up the freezer and saw Ice Cream kitty handing him a vanilla coffee bean ice cream bar that April bought him. He couldn't help but smile as he took the treat and petted the Neapolitan mutant. "Thanks, Ice Cream Kitty. This should give me some energy, huh? Well…here's hoping that the cure is successful."

If only he knew…

* * *

"I can't believe it…after all that hard work…"

One would suspect that Donatello would speak these words before declaring an invention or chemical cure a success. That wasn't the case here. After weeks of nonstop work, the curative serum developed to counteract the brain worm…turned into a spewing black sludge, oozing out of the Erlenmeyer flask. No matter what chemical combination he used, no matter how many antibodies he administered, the mind-control serum proved to be unbeatable. The others appeared understandably upset, but nothing compared to the way Splinter's hope and resolve shattered in front of his very eyes. No cure for the brain worm meant Karai would remain a slave to Shredder's control…possibly forever.

"Sensei…I'm so sorry." The genius turtle murmured, staring at his father's back in dread. "I'm afraid…there's nothing I can do."

The rat shut his eyes, ears drooping, and abruptly headed for the lab doors. "Donatello, I know you tried your hardest…some things are simply not meant to be." He stopped for a moment at the door and added, "At least I have four wonderful sons…"

Talk about one of the biggest guilt-trips a parent could deliver. It made the purple-masked turtle want to cower into his shell the rest of his life; how could he let Sensei down? The facts were the facts, however, and unless a miracle happened, Karai couldn't be cured. When Raphael and Michelangelo followed Splinter out of the lab, he grabbed his clipboard and went over his notes. Somewhere, something went wrong, and he intended to find out what it was, no matter how long it took. Maybe he could talk to Cheyloe and see if she had anything at the hospital that could flush the worm out. Something, anything, he had to find it…but apparently, what he already did wouldn't be enough for a certain someone.

"Donnie, you know how much this means to Sensei!" Leo called out, clearly frustrated.

Donnie sighed and tapped his pencil against the clipboard, still engrossed in his brain worm notes. "Leo, honestly, I'm trying as hard as I can."

"Well, try _harder_!"

Try harder? Try HARDER? Once the genius turtle's shell tensed up, Leo immediately knew he said the wrong thing. Donnie instantly seethed at those accusing words and wanted to bite his brother's head off. HE was the one working his butt off to find the cure for Karai; all Leo did was haphazardly fetch a brain worm while almost getting Mikey killed. After that, the lead turtle basically did NOTHING towards helping in the cure, so who was he to tell him to try harder?

"Try HARDER!?" The genius turtle shouted, throwing his clipboard down with a loud slam. "I ALWAYS have to find the solution! You're LEADER, Leo! YOU FIND ONE! Or what about Raph!?"

At that, the temperamental turtle turned around and finally got to say the one thing he held in ever since this mess started. "I got the answer for ya! Karai's a LOST CAUSE!"

Of all the people to get irate over that remark, it was Mikey. Maybe it was because of his desire to have his sister back home, but he roughly shoved Raph's shoulder in retaliation. "Don't say that, dude!"

Thus, the war of words raged on amongst the brothers, and all the pent-up tension and anger concerning the mind-controlled Karai boiled over the long-simmering pot. Accusations were thrown around ranging from Leo being too obsessed with Karai, Donnie not trying hard enough, Raph hating Karai's guts, and Mikey being too nice about Karai, even some directed at not caring about what Splinter wanted. Just before things could get even more heated-or turn physical-Donnie's T-Phone started ringing. All but Donnie ignored, and he saw from the caller ID it was April; finally, someone to get him out of this pointless fight.

"April, now's not a really good time…" The purple-masked turtle answered, holding one finger in his ear to block out the yelling.

" _Donnie, I need to talk to you. Alone._ " April answered, her tone setting off alarms in Donnie's head. " _It's important. I need you to meet me._ "

"SHIZUKANI!" All the turtles froze when they witnessed an emotionally-worn and clearly-disappointed Splinter walk up to them with his arms behind his back, like always. "What is the problem here?"

The purple-masked turtle had his shell to Leo, but he made the time to shoot his eldest brother a frigid glare before heading for the subway tracks. "Nothing, Sensei. I'm heading out." His vehicle of choice tonight would be the Stealth Cycle, which he used earlier when tracking down Creepweed. "April needs me."

Once again, that didn't sit well with Leonardo. "You're needed HERE now, Donnie!" His demand fell on deaf ears, however, as he watched his genius brother put on his helmet, hop into the Stealth Cycle, and speed down the tunnel leading to the topside exit. "Donnie, get back here!"

Once the Stealth Cycle disappeared from view, Leo repressed the urge to slam his fist into the adjacent concrete wall. First, they lose Karai to the Shredder again, possibly forever, and now Donnie just runs off in the midst of an argument over whatever April wanted. Some leader he turned out to be; he couldn't keep his brothers in line right now! What proved to unnerve him even more was Splinter addressing the rest of them…or, more accurately, addressing him.

"My sons, you cannot drive each other apart." The rat lectured, his voice unusually calm. "In times like these, unity is important. Do not forget the most basic lesson: an effective team thinks as one."

Unity? Thinking as one? Raph and Mikey stopped shooting glares at each other to ponder those words while Leo sulked by the edge of the tracks. Truthfully, they thought the Spirit Quest back in Northampton had purpose in giving them some independence from each other, not to rely on each other so much. Still, even when struggling with individual burdens, a team was still a team, and a team had to be on the same page. However, this fiasco involving the mind-controlled Karai acted as the driving force in the dissention amongst them; everything going downhill because of a GIRL. True, she was Splinter's daughter and a permanent reunion between them was a must…but not while she was brainwashed and not while she was a killer snake mutant. Everyone seemed to understand that EXCEPT for Leo.

"Just forget it." The lead turtle huffed, turning around and heading for the dojo. "If Donnie wants to run off, then leave him be! That's actually pretty fine with me! He may want to give up on Karai, but I'm not!"

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Mikey asked, now appalled by Leo's behavior. "You've been with Karai like Donnie used to be with April! He's not giving up, Leo! Donnie's smart, but he doesn't know EVERYTHING; give him a break!"

"Yeah, it's not like you've been doin' a whole lot to help Karai, except create a mutant that almost destroyed the city just to get a brain worm." Raph sneered, giving Mikey a fist-bump for calling his elder brother out. "Meanwhile, he's slavin' for days just ta create a cure an' get you an' Splinter ta stop breathin' down his neck!"

Raph instantly froze when he suddenly remembered the rat standing among them, cursing himself for uttering that out-loud. Seeing his father's ears droop at the accusation only made the red-masked turtle feel worse. Splinter only let out a breath of resignation and turned towards the dojo for some long-desired meditation…both to think of his daughter's future and out of guilt of piling so much pressure on Donatello. If the rat could be able to cure Karai and had the scientific know-how to do it, he would try and accomplish it just to take that burden off his sons…but he was a man of spirit, not of modern medicine or technology. Thus, he more or less placed the burden of curing Miwa on the shoulders of Donatello, whether he liked it or not. Granted, Donnie chose to take on that responsibility, and Splinter praised him for his selflessness.

"Sensei, I…" Raph tried to correct himself until the rat raised his hand and halted him.

"…I know that the situation concerning Miwa has been a driving force in tension amongst you four." Splinter noted, his voice low and full of sorrow. "I regret that I have only fanned the flames, being too preoccupied in grief over her loss of free will. For that, I apologize, my sons."

Splinter disappeared into the dojo, leaving the remaining three turtles at a loss for words. While Raph and Mikey decided to go and do their own things until they fully cooled off, Leo remained in place like a statue, both mulling over his father's apology and Raph's accusation.

So much for not letting anything weigh him down.

* * *

It was a few hours later into the night that April found herself strolling into the lair, finding it eerily quiet. After doing her homework and helping her dad clean the apartment, she found free time to hang with the Turtles and possibly get more training in. Surprisingly, she found only Leo and Splinter exiting the dojo and Raph reclined on his beanbag chair watching TV…no Donnie or Mikey in sight. Donnie probably had himself preoccupied in the lab, and Mikey more than likely had himself confined to the kitchen cooking up some odd delicacy…so why didn't she sense them?

"Oh…hey, April." Raph greeted her suspiciously, flicking the TV off.

"Hey guys." The redhead greeted as she sat her bag down. "Where's Donnie and Mikey?"

Leo and Raph instantly cast glances at each other, and April immediately knew something was wrong. "Donnie said he was meeting with you." The lead turtle spoke slowly. "And Mikey said something about Murakami's…that's been a few hours ago."

April felt her heart drop and her blood run cold. "…I haven't seen Donnie all day. Something's not right, guys…I think something bad has happened to them."

"I agree with April."

Everyone turned to see Splinter stepping closer, hands behind his back in that classic pose, and staring at the T-Phone Leo now held in his hand; it was obvious he prepped himself to call one of the missing turtles' numbers. The rat stroked his beard in thought and added, "If April did not contact Donatello, and if my suspicions are correct that Donatello did not tell Michelangelo to go to Murakami's…then who contacted them?"

Seconds after the rat asked the million-dollar question, the group turned their heads to the tunnels when they heard frantic footsteps getting closer. Was it Donnie or Mikey returning at last to bring dire news? To their mix of surprise and disappointment, it was an out-of-breath Cheyloe. What was she doing back? She already finished getting lessons from Donnie, so what more could she desire tonight?

"S-Sorry…" The brunette panted, resting her hands on her knees. "I…I just remembered…I left my phone in the kitchen! I came to get it…so I wouldn't forget tomorrow." She caught her breath after a moment, and noticed the concern written on everyone's faces. "…Is something wrong?"

"Cheyloe, did Donnie or Mikey happen to come by after you got home?" Leo asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Chey shook her head and felt her heart start pounding. "No…no, they haven't. How long've they been gone?"

"A few hours." Raph replied quietly. "Donnie got called by someone claiming ta be April, and Mikey rushed off sayin' he was meetin' Donnie at Murakami's. We all had an argument, and we haven't seen 'em since."

"Argument?" It didn't take long for the brunette to slowly cast her gaze onto Leonardo. After her talk with Donnie several hours earlier over Leo's recent behavior, she could easily fit the pieces together as to what the argument could've been about. "Leo, what did you say to him?"

Leo dropped his hands to the side. "Why is everyone blaming ME for this!? The cure for Karai failed and all I said to him was…to try harder…" His speech broke up under the brunette's scrutinizing gaze, especially when her eyes widened at his admission. Even April started giving him a look of disappointment. Slapping his forehead, the lead turtle murmured, "Okay, I get it, I messed up…" Suddenly, his T-Phone alerted him to a text message, and he pulled it out to see it was from…Mikey?

"It's Mikey…" April noted. "Wait, the Kraang are back? How's that possible!?"

"It says he spotted a Kraang and trailed it back to an old warehouse on Hobard." Leo explained before stuffing away his T-Phone. "April, Cheyloe, you stay here. We're going to go find them."

The brunette shook her head. "No, we're going. Someone needs to patch up Donnie and Mikey in case they're wounded…and I want to make sure you all make amends with each other, whether you want to or not." She walked forward and jabbed a finger into Leo's plastron for emphasis. "Got it?"

"Yes…ma'am."

"Now come on…we'll take my car. I'm parked outside." The brunette suddenly turned to Splinter and spoke, "We'll find them."

Splinter gave a firm nod in confirmation. "I will stay by the Cheese Phone. Alert me if the situation becomes dire."

* * *

Even with having spent almost two years in New York, Cheyloe still had trouble remembering street names and where certain places lay located. Hence why she had to receive numerous instructions from Leo and April on how to reach this warehouse on Hobard. Apart from the lead turtle and redhead giving directions, the ride there felt eerily quiet and awkward. While everyone seemed to cool off concerning the argument among the Turtles earlier, no one would feel better until they had Donatello and Michelangelo, and they felt both of them were at this warehouse. Whoever had them managed to pretend to be April and Donnie, and they did a good job at fooling them. Who it was, they didn't know…but they were about to find out.

"Park here!"

Cheyloe parked on the side of the street in front of the warehouse, and the group hopped out of the gray Ford to get to the warehouse door. Well, the door would be too obvious, so they would take the alternative entrance: the rooftop. Well, more accurately, the skylights. Though April and Cheyloe both had a little trouble catching up to the two eldest turtles, the four reached the upper walkway of the warehouse, and found none-other than Donnie and Mikey chained up on the floor.

"Donnie! Mikey!" Leo called.

Donnie looked up at Leo and relief washed over his face. "Guys, thank goodness! Get us out of here, hurry!"

As the four jumped down and rushed to the captured turtles, April and Chey suddenly stopped. For the former, she couldn't sense Donnie or Mikey's thoughts and emotions, and she swore she saw a flicker in their frames…almost like they were a projection. For the latter, an all-too-familiar scent entered her nostrils and made her skin crawl. It was the smell of blood, iron…and snake skin. She also detected no scent coming from the bound turtles, making both women realize that the Donnie and Mikey in front of them weren't real…and Leo and Raph found that out too late as their hands went right through them.

" _I was expecting only Leonardo, but having the rest of you here makes it so much easier._ "

It was definitely Donnie's voice, but their Donnie wouldn't speak like that. When they all looked in the direction of the upper walkway, they found the mastermind behind this scheme…a face they thought they'd never see again.

"…Karai?" The lead turtle gaped.

There she was…Karai herself, surrounded by holographic images of April, Donnie, Mikey, and Murakami-san. On either side of her stood those wretched MOUSERS projecting said holograms while she used a voice-changer to fool them all. The kunoichi smirked down at them, her brown eyes slightly narrowed in contempt for them, as she went on, "Cool, right? With a little clever staging, I captured you all." The holograms beside her vanished and the MOUSERS let out ear-piercing screeches. "Baxter Stockman loaned me his MOUSERS, and he managed to hack into your T-Phone signals. Now that I have all of you, Splinter will have no choice but to fight me…for your lives!"

Raphael growled and pointed his sai at the snake mutant. "Free our brothers NOW!"

Karai chuckled, leaning further over the railing and resting her head in her hand. "I'm afraid that's not happening, Raphael…my friends won't allow it."

The moment she said the word 'friends', out from the shadows emerged the likes of Rahzar, Fishface, Bebop, Rocksteady, and even the nefarious Tiger Claw. Of course, she was smart enough to not be going through with this trap alone; like 'father', like daughter, the group supposed. As much as they disliked the idea, the obvious was true: mind control or not, Karai had to be taken down now. All were ready to do this…all except for Cheyloe. The brunette wanted to believe that somehow, she could talk Karai down and somehow break her out of Shredder's control; she did it before. It may not work, but it would be worth a shot. Donnie and Mikey's…no, ALL of their lives were at stake, including Splinter's, and she didn't want a repeat of what happened two years ago.

"Karai, I know you don't want to do this! You're doing all this against your will; this is what Shredder wants you to do!" Chey pleaded, even though her gun was drawn. "Fight his control, I know you can!"

"A bleeding heart like you spouting lies makes me want to vomit!" The kunoichi sneered before turning to the mutant tiger. "Since she shot your ear, she's all yours."

Thus, the battle was on. At first, the Turtles and their human companions believed they would be strong enough to at least fend the Foot mutants off in order to bring backup. However, they were dealing with the strongest members of the Foot Clan, and Karai not holding anything back. Before long, Leo and Raph were on the ground out-cold, leaving April and Cheyloe to fight off the mutants and kunoichi. If they couldn't fight, they had to make a run for it…even if it meant leaving their friends behind. Not surprisingly, the brunette had other ideas.

"April, get out of here! Get Splinter, Casey, whoever you can get! Just get out of here and run as fast as you can!" Right after she spoke that, she watched in terror as Karai slammed April against the large metal door of the warehouse, collapsing to the ground as a result. "APRIL!"

The last thing Cheyloe remembered before blacking out was Tiger Claw picking her up with a devious grin and head-butting her.

 _I'm sorry…_

* * *

The first of the Turtles to awaken was Raphael, who now found himself in a small room, no exit door in sight. Shaking his aching head, the red-masked turtle cast his emerald-green eyes onto what looked like a camera; the eyeball-shape certainly was unnerving. How did he get here? More importantly, how would he get out? As he tried to make heads-and-tails of his situation, the hotheaded terrapin watched in fright as parts of the wall lowered and revealed metallic grates…grates that quickly heated and changed to a hot-orange color. Heaters…he was about to be baked alive! He had to get out as soon as possible, and now he remembered WHO put him in here.

" _Greetings, Turtles._ " The voice of Karai purred lowly. " _It's time for us to play a game. Each of you has been placed inside a room with a unique trap._ "

Raph snorted, even while sweat poured down his brow. "Doesn't seem like your style, Karai."

" _Oh, we all had input…isn't that right, Xever?_ "

The voice of Fishface suddenly chuckled sadistically. " _I helped design yours personally, Raphael. Everyone loves baked turtle!_ "

"I'll bake my foot right up you-"

"Raphael! You're in the first trap, aptly called 'The Hothead'."Karai explained, cutting the temperamental turtle off and watching him sweating bullets from her position at the surveillance monitors with glee. "Can you figure a way out?" Turning her head, she switched to another monitor, which showed Leo sitting in a kneeling position, obviously meditating on a way out of his trap. "Well, hello Leonardo. Let me welcome you to 'The Courage Slayer'. To save your brothers, you'll have to face ninja blades as skilled as your own…which isn't that formidable. So I cranked up the speed to one-hundred!"

Leonardo watched in horror as a ball emerged from the ceiling, followed by dozens of thin katana blades jutting out and beginning to spin at dizzying speeds. One false move, and he would end up a pile of ribbons. He had to admit, Karai was good, actually a little TOO good; maybe it was a perk from the mind control. How would he even get out?

In a neighboring room, many wires hung from the ceiling like small snakes, and connected to a MOUSER-style helmet strapped onto Donatello's head. The genius turtle struggled to break free, but his hands were firmly shackled to the chair he sat in. He couldn't see the room; instead he found himself in a dark void standing on a floor made of brightly-colored cubes, finding some materializing mid-air and falling in his direction.

" _Donatello, are you smart enough to beat 'The Brain Boggler'?"_ The kunoichi taunted matter-of-factly. " _Connect the pieces as they appear on the game grid. Make one mistake…and you get zapped._ " A few seconds later, Donnie felt electricity coursing through his body, making him scream and seize in his chair until he collapsed. " _Get zapped enough times, and you'll truly know what it feels to be brain-fried!_ "

The kunoichi turned to the fourth monitor, which showed Michelangelo strapped down on a table, only being able to look up at a closed valve. The valve led to, well, a toilet, but the toilet connected to gallons upon gallons of none-other than mutagen. Enjoying seeing the freckled turtle squirm in fear, she explained his trap, "Last, we have 'The Flush-O-Matic'. Once the tanks are full, the flush valve will open and dump mutagen all over your poor, little Michelangelo."

" _You could've at least come up with a better name!_ " Mikey protested, ignoring how dire his situation was. " _I could've come up with something like 'The Flush of Fear', or 'The Toilet of Terror', or…oh, hey, 'The Dump of Doom'!_ "

Ignoring the orange-masked turtle spewing out a slew of alternative names to his trap, Karai turned around and got up to look at another trap she designed, and the victims of this trap were none-other than April and Cheyloe. The two young women found themselves in a cage, suspended over what looked like a normal pool of water separate from the rest of the water surrounding them. April glared at her, fighting her chains, while Cheyloe sat stunned and tried shaking off the blinders put over her eyes. The redhead yanked at her shackles, but stopped once the cage jerked and lowered down about an inch.

"Don't even think about moving too much." The raven-haired girl sneered, crossing her arms. "Every noticeable movement lowers the cage closer to the water…which is laced with potent amounts of my venom. One sip, and you'll be dead in an instant. Oh, and as long as you have those on, you can't do your little fire trick. Have fun getting out."

April huffed and glanced over at the brunette, who kept her movements as light as she could while she wriggled her wrists in her cuffs. "Cheyloe, we've got to get out of here! If she kills the Turtles and tries to get Splinter-"

They both froze when they once again heard Donnie screaming in agony, prompting Chey to begin breathing rapidly and try harder to fight her bindings. "D-Donnie…we can't let her kill them, April! Mind control or not, we have to stop her!" She suddenly realized that Karai could be listening in, so she lowered her voice and continued, "April, listen…Karai knows about my powers, but she doesn't know about yours. Use them to get these blinders off and get us out of these cuffs."

"What?" April gasped. "But I'm still training on them! I haven't even mastered how to move objects…how can I possibly do this?"

"April, I wouldn't be asking you to do it if I didn't have confidence in you." The brunette assured, her determination masking the terror in her tone. "If Karai lures Splinter here, he'll die, and the Turtles will too! I believe in you, April…you can do this."

As the two engaged in their hushed plan, they didn't realize that the rat in question…was already on his way.

* * *

Donnie jumped in his seat again, electricity jolting his body and making him flail involuntarily. Why couldn't he solve this stupid puzzle? Well, if Karai was involved, there wouldn't be a solution; it would purposefully trip him up and ensure he would keep getting shocked. Any more shocks, and he could find himself with permanent brain damage…but what about the others? What kind of danger were they in? If he could just find a loophole in this game, then maybe he could escape and save his brothers. Well, beating the game was one thing, but getting out of these restraints was another. As he tried to mull over his plan and line up the cubes at the same time, he suddenly heard shouting coming through the vents.

"Donnie!?" It was Leo, and he could even hear Raph shouting, too! "Donnie, is that you!?"

"Leo!? I-I can hear you through the vents!" The genius turtle shouted, his tone pained. "I-I'm in some kind of trap!"

"Dudes, I'm on my back!" Mikey's voice resonated through the vents, and Donnie could tell he was in total panic mode. "I don't know where anyone is!"

"Raph's gonna fry if I don't get to him!" The lead turtle shouted in desperation, looking towards the vents as he avoided the oncoming katana blades. "Listen, we've got to work together! We need to help each other out so we can get out of these traps!"

Meanwhile, April and Cheyloe were busy planning their escape and how to defeat Karai. Keeping as still as possible to avoid falling into venom-laced water, the redhead began concentrating and honing her psychic abilities. All she had to do was remove those blinders and rip off the shackles, right? She wished Anna, the more-experienced psychic, were here now to help her out…but with the Turtles, Splinter, and Chey counting on her, she had to step up and do this on her own. She concentrated harder, already getting a headache, until she saw the blinders twitching on the brunette's face, getting her attention.

"Just a little more, April…" Chey whispered, listening for the Foot mutants. "You've got this…"

A few more moments of concentration, and the blinders flew off of Cheyloe's face and onto the cage floor, which unfortunately made it jerk downward again. The redhead cursed herself, but went back to trying to open the shackles. The metal began trembling under her abilities, and the shackles began opening slightly. Cheyloe began looking at her surroundings when something caught her eye at the opening leading to the sewer tunnels…and that there was no sign of Bebop, Rocksteady, or Rahzar. Wait, that was…

"…Splinter!?" The brunette gasped. "April, hurry!"

In the traps, the Turtles did their best to formulate a plan on escaping, but it wasn't going well so far. Raphael currently suffered a heat stroke and was just minutes away from death, made worse by more heaters appearing in the wall. Leonardo found the Courage Slayer inching closer and closer, and got a few nicks on his cheeks from the dangerously-whirling katana blades. Donatello received more shocks from failing the puzzle, and could've sworn his limbs started jerking against his will. Michelangelo almost got hit by a drop a mutagen oozing out of the valve, but managed to blow it away to where it landed inches from his head.

"It's impossible, dudes!" The freckled turtle shrieked. "We don't have a way out!"

That's when it suddenly clicked in Donnie's head. Why didn't he realize it before? Recovering from another shock, the purple-masked turtle shouted as loud as he could, "Guys, listen up! There's a good chance all of the mechanical and electrical circuits of these traps are connected to each other!"

Hearing that information, Leo gave a firm nod. "Got it!"

Waiting until he found an opening, the blue-masked turtle dove under the ball of spinning blades and pushed against it, causing it to malfunction. Instead of the swords continuously whirling and cutting him up, it pushed down on him and bored through the floor, causing him to fall into the room Raph was currently cooking in. Leo shook off the dust and debris to find his brother barely conscious against the wall; even he felt how unbearable the heat was on his body. "Raph! Are you okay!?"

To his relief, the temperamental turtle gave a slow, but sure, thumbs up. "Don't worry Raph…I'm getting us out of here."

* * *

"Splinter…it's been a long time."

Splinter stared down at the smirking Karai, yet he saw his beloved daughter brainwashed against her will by the man he once called brother. This wasn't her fault, but nevertheless, he knew the only way to save his sons was to get past her and Tiger Claw. Of course, he noticed April and Cheyloe in the cage nearby, and he would also have to get past the Foot to rescue them. Still, to ensure all of them were safe, he had to try and talk some sense into the kunoichi standing beneath him.

"Do not make me fight you, my daughter." The rat pleaded.

"Don't ever call me that!" Karai shouted. Even with her smile, Splinter could feel the anger radiating off of her like the heat radiating on his second-eldest son, judging from the video feed. "The only way to free your pathetic turtles…is to fight me to the bitter end!"

The moment she drew her tanto, the rat knew he had no choice. He took a deep breath before readying himself into a fighting stance. If things were different, he would be assuming this stance to her if they were training, helping her grow into not only a beautiful woman like her mother, but a powerful warrior like himself. He didn't want to lay a hand on his daughter as an enemy. Yet he knew this was the only way. Karai instantly charged, but Splinter predicted a sloppy move, which enabled him to grab onto her wrists and make her look him in the eyes.

"Miwa, listen to me!" Splinter pleaded. "I am your father, Hamato Yoshi! Your mother was the love of my life!"

That sent the kunoichi into a rage. "Don't you DARE desecrate her memory!"

Tiger Claw readied himself to sneak a shot at the rat, but the moment he was about to pull the trigger, he stopped when something metal snapped open, followed by a cage door bursting off its hinges. To his surprise, April and Cheyloe managed to break out of their prison and land on the walk over the pool of sewer water, just as the cage landed in the venom-contaminated pool. He would deal with them later…which proved to be a mistake when a flash of fire knocked him off his balance and into the water, leaving him to stereotypically flail in panic. Now that the two young women were free, they had to help Splinter.

"April, you take care of getting the guys free! Karai's mine!" The brunette commanded before bolting for the control base.

"Are you crazy!?" The redhead spat, following after her to no avail. "That's reckless! You'll be killed!"

Splinter managed to knock the tanto out of Karai's grasp and grab onto her wrists yet again. "Please, do not make me fight you!"

At that moment, Karai's face instantly changed from its human appearance to the scaly, green-eyed, long-tongued humanoid form, prompting the rat to let go. The kunoichi leapt back and left Splinter to watch in horror as she shapeshifted into her serpentine body with a gut-wrenching screech. Fully-changed, the snake mutant hissed and growled out, "You have no CHOICE!"

In the traps, Leo stabbed at the wall and knocked away the bricks until he managed to strike the wires and pipes powering Raphael's trap room. Ignoring the rush of steam to his face, the lead turtle watched the heater grates finally shutting down and losing their orange color; Raph would be okay now. He took the liberty of lifting his hotheaded brother up and carrying him to the neighboring room…that was where Mikey lay trapped and close to being mutated. But he was confident they would get him out, then they would rescue Donnie. Once they entered the Flush-O-Matic room, the two elder brothers found their baby brother screaming in panic.

"Guys, help me!"

"Mikey!"

Right before the giant toilet could dump the gallons of mutagen on the freckled turtle, Leo swiftly cut him loose and lifted himself, Raph, and Mikey above the pool of ooze, much to their relief. Now, if they were correct, Donnie would be right above them. With that prompting him, the lead turtle started cutting through the vents above and squeezing through, helping Raph and Mikey up as well, and found Donnie strapped to the chair and helmet. Seeing his brother in the middle of an electrical surge sickened him, and he felt guilt for both what happened earlier and for not figuring things out sooner.

"Hang on, Donnie! I'll cut you loose!" Leo shouted as he lifted his katana.

"NO!" Donnie halted, much to Leo's confusion. "The helmet is totally wired! If you try to free me, you'll FRY me!"

Mikey suddenly stepped forward and cracked his knuckles, a sly smirk on his face. "Chillax, I got this."

To everyone's horror, the freckled turtle proceeded to grab onto the helmet with his bare hands and attempt to pull it off, sending dangerous amounts of electricity through his body. In the virtual world, Donnie found himself ready to be crushed by another brightly-colored cube when, to his amazement, a large fist knocked it away. The fist belonged to a giant version of Mikey…wait, how did Mikey get in here? Before he could ask, he now found himself out of the virtual reality, free of his helmet, and staring at a stunned and smoking Michelangelo.

"Mikey…you're amazing!" Donnie breathed out.

Mikey just stood the way he was and spoke in a low voice, "Yeah…I was born with a naturally-rare awesomeness." With that, the freckled turtle collapsed to the ground with a sigh.

* * *

Splinter shouted as he got in another blow to Karai, knocking her backwards against the control hub. As he paused to collect his breath, he glanced at the monitors and saw his sons finally free from their traps, bringing him some relief. His relief wouldn't be satisfied until his daughter was back to her normal state, and he looked back at her with a gaze of triumph. "It is over, my daughter. My sons are free…surrender now!"

The snake hissed and slithered closer, preparing to strike the rat. "I'll NEVER surrender to you! NEVER!"

As Splinter rose his hands to block whatever attack his daughter had prepared for him, nothing could've prepared him for what happened next. Right when the snake leaned forward, something resembling a jacket came down over her face and forcefully pulled her back. While Karai struggled, the rat looked in horror to see that it was Cheyloe attempting to stun the mutant; was she out of her mind? He knew she was superhuman, but even she wasn't a match for Karai, especially with her mutated state. "Cheyloe, have you lost your mind!? Do not engage her!"

Chey didn't listen, however. She kept on trying to smother the snake with her jacket until the fabric ripped in half, thanks to the snake's acid spit. Karai finally bucked her off onto the floor, turning around and smacking her with her tail. The brunette grunted in pain, but pushed on, making herself crawl over and bite the part of Karai's tail that wasn't covered in metal. The kunoichi shrieked and shot her snake heads to deliver a potent dose of venom, until Splinter pulled her back and flung her against the control panel, activating a whirlpool to drain the water from the room. If any of them fell in, they would be lost in the sewer tunnels and possibly drowned, and Splinter wanted to be sure ALL of them came back, even if it meant they had to sedate and restrain Karai.

April worked on trying to stop the vortex of water, but the controls were frozen, leaving her to watch as Karai slithered underneath the hub to sneak up on the rat. Splinter decided now was the time to attempt what he and Leo discussed earlier…the Healing Hands. He didn't believe it would work on a chemically-based ailment like the brain worm…but he had to try. If he didn't, then nothing else would work.

"Rin…pyoh…toh…shah." The rat murmured, chanting the words and creating hand signs as April and Cheyloe watched in awe. "Rin…pyoh…toh…shah…" Time suddenly came to a slow-down, allowing him to sense Karai attempting to strike him from behind. The rat turned around and struck Karai multiple times, continuing his chant. "Rin! Pyoh! Toh! Shah!" In a final pose, before striking her on the head, he murmured one heartfelt sentence with enough sorrow to resonate onto the young women watching him.

"I love you, Miwa."

Karai, although weakened, responded by spitting acid in her father's face and coiling her tail around him, attempting to swallow him whole. As one of her snake heads went to bite him and pump him full of venom, a searing pain shot through her head and caused her to scream. She let go of Splinter and coiled her arms around herself in agony before falling backwards towards the swirling vortex below. Splinter rushed and grabbed her arm, but her snake skin proved to be too slippery for his hand, and thus she fell into the water below and disappeared into the drain pipe.

"Miwa! NO!"

April and Cheyloe both grabbed the rat, preventing him from blindly chasing after his daughter and drowning himself. While they were distracted by a grieving Splinter, they didn't notice Tiger Claw flying up and attempting to blast them. Fortunately, he was blindsided by a shuriken and the appearance of the Turtles from above, now free from their traps. That was enough to send the tiger mutant packing and disappearing into the tunnels. The moment they saw Karai gone, the four brothers knew something went down, but what went down, they didn't know. Before Leo could ask, Splinter spoke for him.

"…I was forced to confront her in combat." The rat explained somberly. "The Healing Hands I used on her were meant to help her, not harm her…I fear we will never see Miwa again."

Leo stepped forward and placed a hand on his father's shoulder. "Never give up hope. That was the greatest lesson you taught us as kids, Sensei."

Turning and seeing the smiling faces of his sons, April, and Cheyloe brought warmth to Splinter's heart, and he managed to smile in spite of his grief. However, once he got up, his smile melted when he gave a reprimanding glare in the brunette's direction. "Cheyloe, what you did was extremely foolish. I understand that your intentions were pure, but trying to take on Karai on your own was reckless on your part."

"Wait, you tried to take on Karai ALONE!?" Donnie spat, putting his hands on Chey's shoulders. "What were you thinking!? You're not ready to take her on!"

"She was going to kill Splinter! I had to distract her!" Chey argued, averting her eyes. "She could do whatever she wanted to me, but I wasn't going to let her hurt any of you!"

"And you think it'd make me feel better that YOU got hurt!? What you did was…was stupid!" Taking a few calming breaths and trying to calm his anger, the genius turtle resorted to wrapping the brunette in his arms and pressing her close to him. "…Don't EVER do that to me again, got it?"

Cheyloe didn't speak, but she gave a nod; it really was stupid to try and take on a snake mutant with nothing but a coat and her teeth. What got her more, though, was how it would've impacted Donnie if she got hurt or died at the snake's hands. She had a feeling that she would be doing double-time sparring as punishment for being reckless…but she knew she deserved it.

"Let us go home." Splinter concluded, now calm himself.

As the others began walking away, Cheyloe stopped to stare down at the opening into the drainage tunnels, wondering about the fate that befell Karai. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and put the device to her ear. She ignored that she could actually get reception in favor of speaking to the voice greeting her.

"…Kaitlyn? Yeah, I'm fine. Listen…I need you to meet me over at the sewer tunnels near Hobard in an hour. I'll tell you why when you get here. See you then."

* * *

 **Like I said, longest chapter ever. Now, if you're wondering why I didn't include a resolution between Leo and Donnie...that's going to happen in the next chapter. We're also going to see a certain someone in the care of Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn, along with the emergence of a new alien foe. Want to know more? Then stay tuned!**


	33. Alleviate

**Author's Note: Miss me? I had a little writer's block, mostly from working, and now I managed to finish this little chapter. Nothing much occurs, unless you count the retrieval of a certain kunoichi major. Joking aside, this chapter mostly has some fluff and shows that Donnie and Chey's friendship isn't perfect. Our genius turtle also has a few words with Leo on his recent behavior, and an update on where April and Casey are now. Read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 33: Alleviate

"Cheyloe, I'm up ta doin' favors, but I'm startin' ta regret doin' this one."

"Well, you're already here, so it's too late to back down now. Besides, you can swim, and I can't."

"Are ya even sure she's down 'ere?"

Cheyloe rolled her eyes before shining her flashlight down another tunnel, Kaitlyn trailing behind with her own. Both of them had on rubber waders and caps as they wandered through the dark sewer tunnels looking for someone. Sure, it was in the early morning hours, but they could pretend they were sick and skip going to work; Anna wouldn't approve, though. But this mission was important, and they would accomplish it despite the risks of cholera, hepatitis, and other diseases. They already spent over an hour in the deep tunnels, but every passing hour meant possibly losing their target. This was especially true since those tabloid magazines reported on some creature lurking in the sewers…

"How long are we gonna stay down 'ere?" The dirty-blonde griped. "I'm tired 'a smellin' sh-"

"Hold up!" The brunette halted her when she caught a scent and saw something at the far end of her beam of light. "Kaitlyn, look…I think it's her."

The two young women carefully walked down the tunnel in question, noticing it led to an opening into the main drainage pipe. That wasn't what caught their attention, however. What caught their attention was the fallen figure of a girl soaking wet from head to toe and shivering. Right next to her, forcefully smashed by a hand or a foot, were the remains of a worm-like creature…like the one in the tray in Donnie's lab. Kaitlyn looked at the sight with a disturbed expression, but Cheyloe looked at it as the confirmation she needed on who this was.

"All right…let's get her back to the apartment and give her medical attention. Come on, help me carry her."

Kaitlyn scooped up the girl, now not caring she got sewer water on her clothes, and asked, "Ya gonna alert Rat Daddy about our find?"

"I will…once I know she's in stable condition."

* * *

"Donnie…you got a minute?"

Donatello stopped right in the middle of cleaning the black sludge off his desk to see who called for him. Turning away from the Erlenmeyer flask of failed brain worm antidote, he found Leonardo standing inside the lab with a look of hesitation on his face. The purple-masked turtle had a feeling he knew what this involved, but he decided he'd let his eldest brother speak and get this over with. "What seems to be bothering you, Leo?"

Leo visibly shuffled his feet and cleared his throat, and it was obvious to him Donnie didn't forget what happened last night. It'd already been close to twelve hours since they were held in the traps Karai and the Foot Mutants created; twelve hours since they were essentially rescued by Splinter. Well, it was thanks to working as one that they managed to be free, something Splinter emphasized before this happened. Unfortunately, they didn't make time for making amends with each other over that stupid argument. Raph and Mikey were working on each other, but now it was time for Leo and Donnie to say their piece…even if it meant things got heated once again.

"Listen, Donnie, I…wanted to apologize for what I said last night." The lead turtle spoke, keeping his emotions in check to prevent another fight. "I shouldn't have implied that you weren't trying hard enough…I was wrong."

Donnie cocked an eyebrow and tapped his finger on his arm while his mouth formed into a thin line. Leo instantly knew the obvious: Donnie was still mad. He couldn't get why his brother would still be upset over that fight, especially after they all almost died. Maybe he was still terse about Cheyloe jumping in half-cocked to wrangle Karai like a wannabe Steve Irwin. But before the lead turtle could add more, the genius turtle beat him to it.

"I can see you poured your heart out into that." He bit back, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "Please Leo, humor me more."

"Donnie, I'm serious! I really am sorry for how I acted! Can't we just move on from it?"

"Well, excuse me for asking for a little more sincerity! You're about as heartfelt with apologies as you are ordering takeout!" Donnie huffed and went back to cleaning up the black sludge. Knowing Leo wouldn't leave without a further explanation, he muttered, "It wasn't just what you said that made me mad…it was your motivation."

Leo pulled himself back and tried figuring out what he meant by that. "My motivation? It was to reunite Splinter with his long-lost daughter again! That's obvious, Donnie!"

"Come on, Leo, that wasn't your motivation. What was your real motivation, hmm?" Donnie interrogated, narrowing his eyes. "Was it your motivation for me to find the cure for a long-required family reunion, or so you could get it on with our SISTER!?" At the last part of the sentence, he added a sarcastic wiggle of the hips for emphasis. "Seriously, I figured you'd be over those feelings when she turned out to be Sensei's daughter!" He took another breath and started pacing around the lab in a huff, entering a full-blown rant. "I mean, it's bad enough you already risk your life in your one-man missions, but you almost get yourself AND Mikey trampled by a giant mutant because of your obsession with a GIRL! And here I thought I was bad when it came to April!"

"That's not…"

The blue-masked turtle lost his words and stared hard at the floor. As much as he wanted to deny it…Donnie brought up a valid point. While he did desire for Karai to return so Splinter could have at least a part of his human life back, Leo wanted her back as well due to feelings he still tried to resolve. A part of him was glad when it was revealed Karai was actually Miwa, but a part of him also became crushed because now any sort of romantic relationship would be…forbidden. A big fat heap of taboo. Thus, after Splinter revealed the truth to him, he worked to realize that his feelings were just a crush on a bad girl and knowing they would never work out. Yet lately, he thought about her to the point of obsession, and found himself ashamed for giving Donnie a hard time about April long ago.

"…I guess…a part of me did want her back because of the feelings inside me." Leo admitted, not noticing Donnie giving him a strong gaze. "But Donnie, you have to believe me when I say I've made myself not have those feelings for her anymore. It was like with you and April: just a dumb crush on the first girl that caught my attention. Overall, she's our sister…our FAMILY. Besides…" Leo gave a bitter chuckle and shuffled his feet once again, a sign his brother knew as him experiencing a shred of self-loathing. "You put your blood, sweat, and tears into that cure…all I did was fetch a worm and nothing else. So I guess I'M the one that has to try harder."

Donnie snorted, but it wasn't out of contempt. "Well, you put on quite a show just to get one of those worms, and I know you were just trying to keep me from giving up. You need a better approach on that, though. But Leo, listen…just don't be like how I was with April. Don't let a fleeting crush make you do stupid things, and that includes blowing up at your brothers. We'll get her back…I have a feeling we will."

"So…all's forgiven?" Leo asked with a shred of hope.

Donnie gave a slow nod and offered his hand. "All's forgiven…just as long as you chill from now on. Maybe even help around in the lab, too."

It was at that moment that the genius turtle's T-Phone blared on his desk, grabbing the brothers' attention. When Donnie picked it up, the caller ID read Cheyloe's name; what could be wrong? He hoped that Tiger Claw didn't track her down for any revenge, but maybe it was something minor. Maybe a fried wire in the stove or the microwave acting berserk again. Only one way to find out…

"Cheyloe? Everything okay?"

" _Donnie, I know it's still daytime, but I need all of you to come over ASAP. That includes Splinter, too._ " The brunette spoke urgently.

Splinter, too? Why on earth did she need Splinter included in this? "Cheyloe, what's going on? You've got me worried now!"

" _Trust me on this…it's something you all need to see._ "

Once the brunette hung up, Donnie and Leo glanced at each other before making a beeline for the dojo, where Splinter still sat meditating over the battle against Karai. Raph and Mikey were in the lounge area watching TV, but quickly got up at the expressions on their brothers' faces. As a result, all four found themselves in the dojo facing the rat, and his ears immediately twitched when two of his sons stared at him like they were about to bind him and gag him.

"Training is over with, my sons." Splinter noted, getting up and walking to them. "Is something wrong?"

"Sensei…" Donnie began, still wary of the call. "We need to go to Cheyloe's apartment now."

* * *

"What's so important that she has us up here in the middle of the afternoon? During the DAY, I might add!"

"Shut up, Raph! Whatever it is, it would have to be really important if she wants us here now. We just have to trust Cheyloe on this, okay?"

Raphael rolled his eyes, still pouting like a little kid both over having to come out in the sunlight and being reprimanded. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cheyloe, it was that he didn't find her judgment over things completely trustworthy. After all, she tried to take on a killer snake-Karai by herself and she made an enemy out of Tiger Claw thanks to her little fire show. However, as long as Donnie didn't get hurt sticking his neck out for her, she remained in his good graces. The only person who didn't remain in his good graces was, unsurprisingly, Karai. Splinter's daughter or not, what made him mad the most wasn't the fact she was raised by Shredder and taught to be bad…it was how STUPID Leo became when he developed a crush on her. That was a huge reason he gave Donnie such a hard time with his former crush on April: he didn't want either of his brothers to get their hearts broken or do things that would cost them their lives.

The Turtles and Splinter reached the balcony of Apartment 4C and awaited for someone to answer the door. That someone ended up being Chey, looking visibly worn and lacking any sleep. Through the glass door, they could see Anna and Kaitlyn fighting not to nod off as they stared blankly at the morning news broadcast, sipping on Chey's precious stash of energy drinks. The brunette opened the door and stepped aside to let them enter while mumbling greetings and good mornings.

"Thanks for coming…" She spoke, failing to stifle a yawn. "Sorry that we look like crap…we've been up all night. Didn't think to sleep in shifts…"

"Cheyloe, what is going on that you request my presence as well?" Splinter questioned, alarmed by the fatigue on the three women's faces.

She didn't say a word, but instead led them over to the sofa. Anna and Kaitlyn took that as a cue to get up and allow as much room as possible for the Hamato family. The turtles and rat didn't know what to expect, but they were feeling a great mixture of anticipation, dread, worry, and overall confusion over what the sofa contained. Once they all came to face it, they withheld gasps and found themselves stepping back at what they saw.

Karai.

The kunoichi-turned-mutant lay on the sofa, a quilt pulled up to her neck, looking pale and disheveled. Her metallic armor lay in a pile in the corner of the room, so they assumed she was still in the fabric portion of it, and all traces of makeup were wiped away from her face. A heating pad lay underneath her head and neck, supplying her with more warmth, and she mumbled incoherent words in her slumber. On the coffee table lay various medicines, some in bottles and others administered via injection, used cold cloths, a thermometer, and the open first-aid kit.

"Miwa…" Splinter leaned forward and gently touched his hand against Karai's forehead, making her eyes twitch in response. "I cannot believe this…she's alive."

Donnie stared up at Cheyloe in disbelief. "Cheyloe, how did you…"

"After she got swept up in the drain, I called Kaitlyn to meet me in the sewers underneath the warehouse." Chey explained, rubbing at her eyes and cheeks in exhaustion. "We discovered her in a tunnel leading to the main drainage system…she had enough energy left to smash the brain worm."

"So the Healing Hands actually worked?" Leo asked in surprise, with a touch of awe added in. "That's incredible! But is she going to be okay?"

The brunette sighed and stared down at the sleeping Karai. "She will be…she's just very weak right now. We really have to be careful that she doesn't change form and go on a rampage once she wakes up…"

"Well, whatever Stockman did before administering the worm seems to work." The genius turtle commented. "He would've had to make it work so she'd be in her right mind. Since that's not an issue…" He suddenly cast his eyes onto Cheyloe and narrowed them. "Why didn't you tell us to come right when you found her? We wouldn't have minded!"

"We had to make sure she was in stable condition." Chey defended tiredly. "Since she had that thing in her head for so long, we had to make sure she'd actually make it through the night, Donnie. And once she wakes up, how do we know she won't have any brain damage?"

Donnie averted his eyes, knowing she had a point. "Sorry…it's just crazy knowing that she's still alive. Cheyloe…what would we do without you ladies?"

"I have to share agreement with Donatello." Splinter smiled, unshed tears in his eyes. "I thank you very much for bringing my daughter back. Now that she is finally free from Shredder's control, we can begin healing…" He went on to lean over and whisper to his daughter, careful not to wake her up, words of reassurance and safety from the metal-clad monster who brainwashed her for so long.

"…Father…" The kunoichi murmured, turning her head in the direction of Splinter's voice. A few seconds later, her eyes opened…her human eyes. "…F-Father…"

"It is all right now, my daughter." The rat quieted his daughter by stroking her cheek. "You are no longer under his control."

* * *

"…I could see everything I was doing. I watched myself poison all of you, and then place you inside those god-awful traps. I tried to fight every bit of it, but I couldn't…"

It was another hour before Karai fully awakened and decided to share what she remembered. The turtles and Splinter made themselves comfortable around the apartment while Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn prepared warm drinks. Donatello went on to take notes on the matter, despite no real need, just to see how her experience was different from those of Raphael, Slash, and Dr. Rockwell. As hot tea and hot chocolate mugs were passed around, the kunoichi shivered into her quilt and decided to recount her horrifying experience.

"Stockman managed to bring back my sanity…only for him to place one of those creatures in my head. It was made so I would obey Shredder without question." Karai went on, her voice slowly getting stronger. "When Father applied that technique during our battle…I remember a searing pain in my head. I could feel that thing writhing in agony in my skull…then I found myself in that tunnel throwing it up and smashing it."

Donnie clicked his tongue and leaned back in the arm chair. "So…it's not so different from what happened to Raph, only making you angry wouldn't have broken the control. It still blows my mind the Healing Hands…actually worked. Karai, do you remember anything from before Stockman 'fixed' you?"

Karai stared down into her mug of hot tea and frowned. "I don't remember much…except for bits and pieces. The only thing I can thank Stockman for is saving me from being mindless. But once I get my hands on him AND Shredder…"

"Do not focus on revenge, Miwa." Splinter reprimanded, rising from his seat at the table. "Your primary focus should be on healing. I have spoken with Cheyloe, and it is wise that you stay here until you are fully recovered."

Karai looked up at the brunette in surprise, but didn't say anything when Cheyloe beat her to the punch. "You're still weak, and that in-turn weakened your immune system. Going to the sewers right now would earn you a trip to the hospital, so you'll be bunking here for the time being. You should be all right by yourself while we're working, but just as long as you take your medicine."

Michelangelo took a long sip from his mug and looked over at the kunoichi. "So does that mean you remember Chey playing Crocodile Hunter with you when you trapped us?"

The kunoichi and brunette looked at each other oddly, before Chey replied, "I told you that wasn't one of my best moments. Let's just agree that it _never_ happened."

While Anna and Kaitlyn snickered, picturing Cheyloe in wildlife getup and speaking like the late Steve Irwin, Donnie got up when he watched Splinter stare out the glass balcony door. He could only guess what was going on in his head: joy at having his daughter back for good, anger at the Shredder for defiling her with mind control, worry about whether or not they would ever find peace. The possibilities raced through his mind, and he admitted his mind was racing, too. He still felt bewildered at having their sister back, but he also felt a little miffed that Cheyloe went to find Karai right after they were almost killed. If she got hurt because the kunoichi went berserk, he wouldn't know what to do.

"…You seem to have a lot on your mind as well, my son." Splinter commented, watching the afternoon sun in the sky. "A lot has happened, and you must feel overwhelmed."

"Well, you could say that." Donnie admitted, glancing back at the others. "I just…when I attempted to cure Karai with chemicals and serums, it failed. But when you used a spiritual method, it actually succeeded. I suppose science can't always solve other scientific problems."

"Donatello, you are very intelligent; a gift many take for granted. However, do not think you must have the answers to every problem and put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Even I do not hold all the answers to our dilemmas." The rat placed an assuring paw on his son's shoulder. "Even though your cure was unsuccessful, I still appreciate every moment of work you put into it…it proves to me your dedication holds no bounds."

Donnie once again stared over into the living room, witnessing the others hovering over Karai like a group of mother hens. Then his eyes went over to Cheyloe, and he could see her smile through her fatigue. Ever since he confided his knowledge of what happened to Embry, she seemed determine to put herself in dangerous situations whenever she accompanied them. She did it before, but it wasn't so bad until now. If she made one misstep, she would've been killed by Karai's venom, or she would've been ambushed by one of the Foot mutants in the sewers. Something had to be done…and he knew what that was.

"Sensei…I'd like you to teach me the Healing Hands."

Splinter stared at him in surprise. Donnie foresaw this reaction, so he had a readied explanation. "I know, I know, I'm not the type of guy to focus on spiritual stuff. But you've proven to me twice that it works; it saved us from the venom and it ejected the brain worm out of Karai. I just want to make sure…that I have an alternative to any medicines that don't work. I…"

"You have someone else you wish to protect, is that right?" The rat questioned, his eyes also going to the brunette. "Cheyloe attempting to restrain Karai alone clearly has you shaken. I understand why you wish to learn the technique, even when you are more inclined to the sciences and modern medicine. Hmm…" He stroked at his beard before giving a nod. "I shall teach you, Donatello. I believe it would be wise to teach Raphael and Michelangelo as well."

"Really? Y-You will?" Donatello, still stuttering, leaned forward and gave his father a hug; and he thought Mikey was bad about that. "Thank you, Sensei! I won't let you down!"

"Just remember, my son: this technique requires your full spiritual focus. Remember your previous lesson, and offer a balance between your mind and body."

"I know, Sensei. I know I'm not the most spiritually-involved person, but I'll give it a try." Donnie assured before he quietly added, "I don't exactly have a choice…"

* * *

"So, what's the update on Karai?"

April stopped to straighten the motor board on her head while sitting in one of the cramped chairs in the auditorium. Despite all the chatter from their fellow classmates, she found herself more interested in talking about Karai than the fact that Casey somehow managed to graduate alongside her. She glanced away and found both her dad and Casey's dad and sister in the audience, snapping pictures and crying over their kids growing up. Shame, though, that the Turtles and Splinter couldn't attend their graduation. Pictures would be enough.

"She's still recuperating at the apartment. It may be a while before she can go to the sewers." April replied quietly. "After that, you can have a proper introduction that doesn't involve a venom-laced kiss."

"Hey, give me credit. I didn't know she was under that brainwashing juice!" Casey retorted, struggling in his uncomfortable graduation gown and fiddling with his tassel. "And, uh, Donnie still miffed?"

The redhead glanced away at that question. Casey fortunately didn't fall into Karai's traps like she and the others did, but even he would be freaking out over seeing the guys trapped and Cheyloe attempting to distract Snake-Karai by herself. She paid a visit a few days ago after rehearsal and found the genius turtle pacing in his lab and murmuring on how foolish their friend acted. He wasn't mad, though: he was scared, and she couldn't blame him. That must've been why she found him that day in the dojo with Master Splinter, practicing the same hand signs used on her during the venom infection.

"Donnie's better…just as long as Chey doesn't do any crazy stunts again. Still, he's been learning that Healing Hands technique from Splinter. I didn't think he'd be the one to want to learn it. I mean, Leo, I definitely see it with him, but Donnie…I didn't think he'd want to learn something that didn't involve science."

"Even D knows he's gotta find a balance. He wouldn't have been able ta complete that spirit quest stuff if he didn't, right?" The hockey player noted, giving a light-hearted shrug of the shoulders. "That's somethin' Raph had ta deal with, too. He had trouble gettin' the spirit mumbo-jumbo down for a while 'cuz he couldn't find that 'inner peace' or whatever."

Inner peace…Donnie struggled with that a lot, especially after what happened to Pulverizer, her dad, Leo, and so on. How did he even manage to stay sane after all that? How did ANY of them keep their sanity after all that happened so far? More importantly, how could things possibly get worse? The only thing that provided distraction from that question came when the graduation organizer called up Casey's row to go backstage. Once graduation and the party following were over, they would head over to the lair and check on everyone. Maybe she would go over and visit Karai, even if that meant enduring a barrage of snarky comments from the raven-haired kunoichi.

It didn't bother her…because April had a feeling in the back of her mind that something worse was going to happen, and soon.

* * *

"Rin…pyo…to…sha…mu…ryo…ju…son…"

Donatello formed a few more hand signs before taking a deep breath and stopping; he still had trouble remembering the rest. To his chagrin, Splinter left him alone for the moment to practice the Healing Hands in the dojo, but the lack of his father's wisdom and correction made it hard to concentrate. The others were busy still talking about getting ready to watch the Crognard ending or the rumors of the 'dino-man' in the sewers, but he wanted to keep focus on learning this technique, no matter how long it took. Closing his eyes, he went at it once again.

"Rin…pyo…to…sha…"

A knock on the doorframe stopped Donnie in his reciting, and he opened his eyes to see Cheyloe casting her eyes on him. She had with her, to his surprise, two iced coffees and a bag of pastries from the local delicatessen. Those immediately had his attention, but he couldn't help but wonder if she got the items for the purpose of apologizing even more. Suck-up gifts, as Raph would call them.

"Hey…" She greeted, holding up the treats with a lop-sided smile. "I brought sweets."

The purple-masked turtle got up from his kneeling position and went to grab one of the iced coffees, taking a drink. "Thanks…but seriously Chey, I'm not mad anymore. You don't have to butter me up over the trap situation, honestly!"

The brunette frowned and cast her eyes down. "If you're not mad or scared anymore, then why are you learning this technique? You're the guy that relies on modern medicine, not mantras. Heck, Karai's not under mind control anymore, so why learn it?"

There was no denying she figured it out; was April the only one who could sense emotions? The moment she heard he wanted to learn the Healing Hands, she knew he was doing it because of her. The look on her face was hard to read: it could be guilt, worry, and maybe even sadness? But the truth was the truth: he wanted to use this technique in case she got hurt or if she fell under mind control like Karai did. "I'm not going to lie to you, Cheyloe…April told me what kind of trap the two of you were in. Then, you go and try to grab Karai like the reigns of a mechanical bull and nearly get bitten. The only thing that worked against the venom and the mind control were the Healing Hands; my attempts at antidotes didn't do a thing! I don't want anything to happen to you and me not be able to do a thing about it…"

That told Cheyloe enough, and the guilt already settling in her body made her stomach heavier than usual. When he cooled down a day later and spoke with her about what happened, he told her everything of his failed brain worm cure and his fight with Leo. It was bad enough when he couldn't find an anti-venom for Karai's unique venom, ending up a victim of it until Leo and Splinter healed them. She and the others were informed some hours later, primarily as a warning to watch out for the brainwashed Karai. What hurt her most, though, much like Donnie, was that she couldn't do a thing that would offer help. She knew how that felt all too well…

"Donnie, I'm sorry. I was just…Karai was about to go for Splinter, and I couldn't watch as his own daughter killed him, not fully realizing what she was doing." Chey admitted, sitting her items down and taking a seat next to the terrapin on the dojo carpet. "What I did was really, really, REALLY stupid, I get it, and I…well, I don't make promises I can't keep, but-"

"I know you don't, but please don't ever do something like that again." Donnie insisted, his voice cracking slightly. "You can do a lot of things, but you can't do everything to protect everyone; I can't either. I'm not saying you're not strong, but the Foot, the Kraang, even Karai, are stronger than you and us. Don't try to play the sacrificial lamb for our sake."

He drove a hard bargain, as much as the brunette didn't want to admit it. However, he was right, and she knew that being reckless and so ready to sacrifice herself wouldn't do any good. Did she throw herself into danger as self-punishment for Embry's demise? That was part of it…she didn't want to go over the rest. "All right…what's something I can do to help alleviate this tension between us? I don't want what I did to drive us apart, okay? Tell me…what can I do?"

"Hmm…" The way the genius turtle started pondering almost made Cheyloe laugh, but he could see her fighting the urge. "Well, maybe helping me master this technique is a start. And I'd say that bringing me iced coffee and doughnuts serves well, too. But more importantly…nothing's going to drive us apart. All right?"

There was a smile on Cheyloe's lips, and Donnie swore she looked about to cry. "That sounds fair enough. What should I do to help?"

"You remember how you said you have a crick in your neck from work? Let me see if I can fix that up…"

* * *

 **Like I said, not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but wait for the next chapter. I also want to clarify that, and this is just my opinion, that Leo partly wanted Karai back so desperately because of his own romantic feelings (remember what he said at the start of Turtles in Time), and I'd think Donnie would call him out on it because of his previous experience with April. I don't hate Leo at all, but lately he's been doing some pretty stupid things. I also want to point out that in this story, the timeline is different, thus April and Casey are graduating high school. Anyway, the next chapter marks the arrival of a certain android and a group of aliens you may be familiar with. And be warned...things are about to get tense. Stay tuned!**


	34. The Heralds from Beyond

**Author's Note: Greetings, everyone! I haven't updated for a bit, and I apologize for that. Writer's block hit me, and I got sidelined by work. But now I'm back and with another chapter to my story! Now, on the last chapter, I wanted to clarify something that I should've added, but forgot to. I'll be honest...I never shipped Leorai. Even before the revelation that Karai is Splinter's daughter, I never cared for Leorai. But that's just me. Does that mean Leo's going to be left out in the cold? Of course not! Why would I do that to him?**

 **Anyway...this chapter introduces a few familiar characters, including one we've had to mourn recently. Can you guess who? But this chapter is just a taste of what's about to happen, and in the next couple of chapters, you might need some tissues. Anyway, read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 34: The Heralds from Beyond

 _"_ _Tonight on Grody to the Max: are the rumors of the Dino-Man in the sewers true? Sadly, no new information has surfaced over the prehistoric humanoid of the depths, but sewer workers have reported seeing what they described as a 'metal man' last seen where the Dino-Man of the sewers lurks! Who is this metallic oddity, and what does he have to do with the sightings in the sewers? Does it have any connection with reported monster sightings in New York? Or is it possible that New York is now harboring visitors from beyond the cosmos?"_

When the infamous Joan Grody's drawling on over sewer oddities got too boring, Raphael casually switched the television off and leaned his head back. Everything felt too quiet lately; too calm for his own tastes. So far, Karai wasn't deemed well enough to step foot in the sewers yet, but she made quick progress. Of course, that meant more trips than usual to Cheyloe's apartment to check on the ex-Foot Princess…more trips than he could handle. He spotted Leo and Mikey over by the pinball machines, and Donnie probably holed himself in the dojo with Master Splinter again over that Healing Hands stuff. The Foot were too quiet, and he didn't like it. Now there was some metal man in the sewers and a dino-man, to boot.

"Is Donnie outta the dojo yet?" The temperamental turtle asked out-of-the-blue. "Why don't we go on patrol?"

"He's still training with Splinter." Leonardo answered matter-of-factly, not looking up from his game of pinball. "I'm guessing you've got that feeling, too?"

Raph sat up and cracked his knuckles. "Don't ya think it's weird that the Foot haven't captured one of us ta find Karai? Heck, I'm surprised they're not all over the streets trackin' 'er down, and ya know they blame us."

"Well, Cheyloe's keeping her hid pretty well." Michelangelo noted, looking over at his second-eldest brother. "And Karai's smart enough to know to keep a low profile. She'll get to come home soon, though, and I'm stoked! Our sister's finally coming home!"

"There's still one thing, Mikey…" Leo finally stopped his game when the ball fell down and declared a Game Over. "Maybe it's all just rumor, but I'm worried about those reports on the dino-man and the metal man. I hope I'm wrong, but it could be a sign that the Kraang are back."

"That can't be possible!"

The other turtles looked to see Donatello entering the main room, finally finished with his Healing Hands training for the day. He'd been at this for the past several days, almost a week, and he seemed to be coming along steadily. Unlike Leo, he struggled with it more due to the spiritual aspects of the technique, but his mind opened itself up to those aspects, even if it took some time. The genius turtle rubbed at his burning eyes and approached his brothers, clearly irate at the possibility of one of their long-time enemies making a return.

"Rockwell and I sent them back, so they should still be in Dimension X! There's no way they should be back!" Donnie argued.

"Donnie, even with that, they'd be back eventually…all of us know that." The lead turtle sighed, lowering his head. "It'll be a matter of time before they come back and try to terraform Earth again. But at least we have the advantage of retromutagen, and the Mutanimals and superhumans."

"If I can brew up enough of a batch to counteract them, Leo." Donnie reminded as he lifted his finger up. "I'm trying to get the right brew ready to use on Timothy and Karai right now, so all we can really do is bring down the Technodrome again or send them back like last time. We also have to worry about Shredder teaming up with Kraang Prime again, if they are back…"

As the brothers pondered more on the possibility of the Kraang returning, they stopped in their debate when their T-Phones simultaneously sounded off. Who in the world would be texting them right now? Maybe April and Casey saw the Kraang and wanted to warn them right now, or spotted Foot Bots scouting for Karai. They grabbed their phones and read the message received…and it wasn't from April or Casey. All received a simple request, followed by a strange symbol that resembled a bishop chess piece. What did it mean, exactly?

"Come to the meat processing plant." Donnie read aloud. "Further instructions shall be provided. It is urgent." He glanced at his brothers in concern before putting his T-Phone back in his belt. "I don't know who sent that, but I have a bad feeling about it."

"Should we go?" Mikey wondered. "I dunno why, but I feel like it's not a trap. We should go."

The temperamental turtle growled and looked towards the lair exit, a gut feeling settling in and warning him that something bad was in store for them. "Let's go find out who this joker is and get some answers."

* * *

The Shellraiser zoomed down the street, passing by several cars blowing their horns at them by irate drivers, en route to the meat processing plant. The last time the Turtles ever came here was their confrontation with Tiger Claw, which resulted in Karai being held prisoner in Foot Headquarters and Mikey receiving a loose shell. Tiger Claw proved to be bad enough, so what waited for them now? The possibilities were limitless: a mini-Kraang army, a horde of Foot Bots, the Purple Dragons, or even the rogue mutants lurking the city. But they couldn't be advanced enough to know their T-Phone signals, and none of them would address them with a bishop symbol…so who was it?

"Stop right here!" Donnie commanded, pointing at the monitor to the side of the curb.

The massive vehicle skidded to a stop, prompting the Turtles to stealthily get out and gather around the back entrance of the building to avoid being seen by civilians. As they readied themselves to enter the door and windows, the brothers suddenly halted when they saw two familiar faces already present.

"April? Casey?" Leo asked, bewildered. "What're you two doing here?"

"We both got some weird text telling us to come here." The redhead explained, flashing her phone and showing the very text they received earlier, bishop symbol included. "Don't tell me you guys got it, too. I tried seeing who sent it, but it's an unknown number."

"All right, what gives?" Casey griped. "Who's settin' us up? I was in th' middle of hockey practice when this guy sends that text!"

"We're about to find out." The genius turtle spoke. His hand immediately went to the door handle, and he found it to be unlocked; odd for when the plant had to be closed at this hour. That was the confirmation he needed that someone was inside waiting for them. "Come on, let's go in."

The group stepped inside the plant and wandered inside the cold storage unit. They ignored the frigid temperatures and the smell of freezer-burned meat permeating the air and kept as quiet as possible. They couldn't let their guard down for a second; this mystery person could have a trap ready for them and spring it at any second. Right then, April clutched her head and groaned, and that told the others that someone had to be nearby…and that someone quickly stepped out of the shadows to approach the group. The Turtles and humans stared at the stranger and stepped back at the sight…a Kraang Droid.

This one had the classic 'Norman' disguise, the dull-faced human shell, but there was a key difference: this one sported a pair of sunglasses and looked like one of the Men in Black. Strange…why wasn't this Kraang Droid armed with a blaster and shooting at them? Still, unarmed or not, this was a threat.

"It's a Kraang Droid!" Leo shouted, unsheathing his katanas. "Don't let it escape!"

The lead turtle went to attack the droid, but it quickly began dodging his movements. Casey jumped in and attempted to attack, but the automaton simply knocked him aside and sent him crashing into Raphael. The others drew their weapons and prepared for battle, but before they could lend a hand, the droid quickly grabbed the katana blades and held Leo back. Leo grunted and tried to bring his blades down on the robot, but to no avail.

"I do not wish to fight!" The droid spoke, its voice surprisingly clear and not butchered like normal Kraang speak. "I merely wish to speak with you all!"

Leonardo froze and loosened his grip on the blades. The Kraang Droid yanked them from the turtle's grasp, but didn't attack; it instead held them out for the leader in blue to take. Hesitating at first, Leo took the blades from the robot and sheathed them, eyeing the droid warily. "All right…start talking."

"You may call me by my Earth name…Bishop." The Kraang Droid spoke politely, placing his arms behind his back. "I can correctly assume that you all received my message? Do not fear…I am not part of the Kraang."

Donnie tilted his head to the side. "If you're not part of the Kraang, then what exactly are you?"

"I am a part of the Utrom Tribe." Bishop replied firmly. "We are a small group that broke away from the Kraang Hive Mind centuries ago."

"Well, I always knew the Kraang functioned under a hive mind…" The genius turtle pondered before narrowing his eyes and scowling, "…A very STUPID hive mind!"

"Forgive my calling you this late…and while I would not do this, I have broken my Utrom vow never to interfere with Earth matters to bring you dire news." The droid narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses to finally confess, "The Triceratons are coming."

The Turtles and humans froze; what were Triceratons? Were their aliens that existed besides the Kraang and these Utroms or whatever? Another possibility surfaced: did this have anything to do with the rumored dino-man lurking the sewers? "What are Triceratons?" Mikey asked in a hushed voice.

"Reptilian aliens that rival the Kraang in terms of cunning and brutality. Some months ago, a scout for the Triceraton army arrived on this planet…to search for a fugitive android. This fugitive android in question has valuable information…on a weapon capable of destroying this entire planet. If they wanted to, they could even destroy this entire solar system. Nothing will stand in their way of retrieving this Fugitoid." Bishop warned. "The news gets even worse…the Kraang have repaired the Technodrome, and are planning to invade once again."

Raph threw his hands in the air before letting them flop to his sides. "Great…how can things get even worse? The Kraang are bad enough, now we gotta deal with a LOT of dino-men!"

"Bishop…I get the feeling that the Kraang and Triceratons are connected." April confessed. "Is there some sort of history between the two?"

"There is." The droid nodded. "For millennia, the Kraang and Triceratons waged war for control over Dimension X. While the Kraang used their intelligence and technology, the Triceratons relied on their cunning and brute strength. Just as it seemed the Triceratons would be victorious, the Kraang surprised them with the most powerful weapon in the universe: a black hole generator. The Kraang used it to destroy the Triceratons' homeworld…and only a single fleet survived. Thus, the Triceratons are consumed with vengeance, and will destroy any planet with even a minimal amount of Kraang…which is why they wish to find the Fugitoid. The Fugitoid has the means of locating the Black Hole Generator."

"Wait…that news report talked about a metal man lurking the sewers." Raph recalled, green eyes widening and voice panicked. "If that dino-man, or Triceraton, or whatever found him…"

Donnie instantly knew what his brother was getting at. "…Then that scout signaled to the rest of the fleet they found the right planet." He turned to Bishop and asked, "How do we stop them?"

Bishop took off his sunglasses and stared the genius turtle dead in the eyes; compared to the other Norman droids, his gaze actually had life in it. "Our first priority is to secure the Fugitoid and keep him hidden. Afterwards, the Technodrome must be destroyed before it can rise from the ocean…then we must stop the Triceratons from detonating an explosive in the middle of the city."

"They're puttin' a BOMB in th' middle of the city!?" Casey exclaimed. "Why're they doin' that!?"

April gulped. "…Blackmail. They're going to use it to draw this Fugitoid out and make him help them."

"Correct. Now, according to your news reports, the Fugitoid has been spotted in the sewer systems. Let us proceed there immediately, before more scouts are sent to find him."

When Bishop got a head start in leaving the building, the group glanced worriedly at each other in silence before following suit. Truthfully, they weren't for sure that they could trust this guy; though he wasn't part of the Kraang hive mind, there was still that possibility that he would betray them to the Kraang or Triceratons. But if that were the case, he wouldn't be so eager to help them. Whatever happened, they had to be sure that either group didn't destroy their home…no matter the cost.

* * *

"Bishop…how did you break away from Kraang Prime's rule?"

The group kept on trudging through the darker part of the sewers when April asked the million-dollar question. Bishop did state that he broke away from the hive mind, but he never specifically stated how he accomplished it. Maybe April asked the question also to break the tension of having to find this Fugitoid before the Triceratons got their hands on him. Whatever the case, everyone found themselves interested in Bishop offering some sort of explanation, especially Donatello.

"Allow me to start from the beginning." Bishop began, holding up a light for the others to see into the tunnels. "Millions of years ago, the Utroms lived peacefully in Dimension X, and there certainly was no threat of harm against the Earth or other planets. However, that all changed, thanks to an Utrom scientist named Kraang."

"Wait, the Kraang started out as a single Utrom scientist?" Donnie gaped before clearing his throat when he realized he interrupted. "Please, continue…"

The droid gave a simple nod and went on, "Kraang discovered the mutagen secreted by the Kraathatrogons, and began experimenting with its properties. He used it on himself, developing powerful psychic abilities, and thus renamed himself Kraang Prime. He used his psychic powers to bring most of the Utroms under his control, and renamed them after himself. Only a small number of us, myself included, were able to resist his brainwashing…and we have been plotting how to stop him ever since."

Donnie bit on his lips, and a thought came to him. Once they could get to work, he knew they would have to request help to stop both the Kraang and Triceratons, and some of that help would have to come from three certain ladies. "Bishop…how exactly did superhumans come about? Well, I mean, the Kraang call them 'Anomalies', but why?"

"I suppose you are concerned of the three superhuman women you have befriended." The Utrom suspected, his tone somewhat amused. "They are considered mutation accidents…born from the residual radiation of the mutagen when it was first used on Earth; it is a reason they are called 'pseudo-mutants'. They used their abilities to do battle against Kraang Prime…he feared them. However, normal humans also feared them, hunting them down until their numbers dwindled. The Kraang did not have to do much to lower their population; the humans did that for them."

It was just like what Kurtzman told him months before, only he didn't know that the Kraang were actually _afraid_ of them. If that were the case, the Kraang had to be at least a little fearful of mutants like them as well, since they did stop them multiple times. Still, it hurt just the same to hear that they were all but eliminated because of human ignorance, and they would probably deliver the same results to mutants if they were discovered. It was time to get back to the task at hand, and time was short now. As the group went further down, approaching a room with a pool of water drained from the main pipes, Mikey stopped when he caught a glance of something around the corner.

"Guys, what was that!?"

Everyone turned to see a shadow dart behind the opposite entryway, prompting them to give chase. Once they entered into the opposite tunnel, they stopped when something else caught their gaze…something that looked like the burnt remains of a giant creature. It looked bigger than Leatherhead and Slash, so what did it used to be?

"Show yourself now!" Leo commanded. "Who are you!?"

Out from the tunnel, the Turtles and their allies heard the sound of approaching footsteps…metallic footsteps. Donnie squinted his eyes and tried to pierce through the darkness, which allowed him to see a humanoid shape cautiously approaching them. Once the shape stepped into Bishop's light, it revealed itself to be an automaton sporting golden glowing eyes, an oval-shaped head, and tube-like limbs. The automaton scanned them all for a moment before looking towards Bishop.

"…Bishop, my old friend!" The robot beamed, beeping and stepping forward to greet the Utrom. "Long time, no see!"

"Wait, you two know each other!?" Raph gaped.

Bishop turned to the Turtles and humans and held his hand in the direction of the robot next to him. "Allow me to introduce you to Professor Zayton Honeycutt…the Fugitoid."

The group stared at the robot, or Fugitoid, before staring at the charred remains nearby. They didn't want to consider the possibility, but did that harmless-looking robot actually kill whatever the creature was? Leo was the first to investigate that matter. "Fugitoid…what is that over there?"

The robot turned his head to the deceased creature and his eyes changed to form the closest to a saddened expression. "That…was a Triceraton scout named Zog. The brute didn't realize that the oxygen on Earth did damaged to his nitrogen-starved lungs; broke into delusions. He was coherent enough to activate the beacon notifying the Triceratons of my location. However…" He turned his head away and let out a low beep. "I tried to reason with him and beg him to leave this planet alone, but he proceeded to charge and…I had no choice."

That proved enough to confirm their suspicions, though they found it unbelievable. Mikey piped up and questioned, "Y-You did that, Fugidude? You burnt 'im to a crisp?"

"I actually vaporized Zog with my fusion core…but I insist that I did it as a last resort. If he hadn't attacked, I would've gladly supplied him with nitrogen and convinced him to preserve this planet! But…alas, that wasn't the case." Fugitoid insisted, twiddling his metallic fingers. "But it's too late…the Triceratons will do harm to this planet because of me."

"No, they won't." April declared, cerulean eyes narrowed and fists tightened. "As long as we're around, they or the Kraang won't destroy our home. One way or another Fugitoid, we're going to stop them."

The Turtles, Casey, Bishop, and Fugitoid stared at the redhead, surprised at her confidence, before they offered nods of acceptance. They already suffered from two Kraang invasions, and they wouldn't suffer from a third invasion; the Triceratons wouldn't invade, either. Renet did say that they saved the world many times…maybe this would be one of those times.

"We definitely need a plan." Donnie spoke firmly. "But…we're also going to need help."

* * *

"Another invasion is going to happen!?"

Splinter didn't even have to exclaim anything for the Turtles to know how shell-shocked he appeared. After leaving the sewer tunnels, they brought Bishop and the Fugitoid to the lair before giving the rundown of the situation to their father…and he reacted just as they expected. Of course, why wouldn't he be panicked and worried right now? They were dealing with yet another invasion, only they were dealing with aliens bigger and stronger than the Kraang. They knew what they were up against…question was, HOW were they going to deal with it? That was what they had to discuss with Splinter.

"Sensei, calm down!" Donatello begged, hands up. "We've stopped the Kraang before, so we can do it again AND stop the Triceratons from destroying the Earth! We just have to figure out how. First, though, we need to contact the Mutanimals and have them lend us a hand."

"No offense Donnie, but in case you forgot, Bishop resembles the run-of-the-mill Kraang Droid." Raph countered, arms crossed and expression unreadable. "And if Leatherhead even got a glance of 'im…"

"Leave that to me, bros. I'll keep Leatherhead calmed down." Mikey interjected, a sly expression on his face before it quickly grew serious. "But will the Mutanimals even be enough? Maybe we need even more backup than them."

Leo instantly knew what his baby brother was getting at. "…You're saying we need to take a chance and have Karai join us in battle."

"Not just them, dude…we need to use superhuman backup, too!"

Splinter furrowed his brow. "Miwa is still recovering…I will not allow it. Invasion or not, she needs to fully recover; I will not risk having her collapse on the battlefield when it can be avoided!" He lowered his head and drooped his ears, walking over towards the rolling chalkboard in Donatello's lab, seeing the simple drawings of the invasion battle plan ideas. "I will not lose her again…or any of you."

The Turtles cast their eyes down at the rat's somber admission. He'd lost Karai-Miwa-for all her life, having her snatched away time and time again by the Shredder over a feud the latter wanted to keep going for petty reasons. He'd lost them during the invasion, going insane as a result of the months of separation. Now, with a double invasion, he risked losing them again. Being a father proved to be both a gift and a curse…for Splinter, Kirby O'Neil, Arnold Jones, Sr., heck even the superhumans' fathers must've worried about them like crazy. Would they be like this if some miracle happened that they became fathers? They didn't know, and a part of them didn't want to suffer through the pain of worrying for their children's lives. However, pain aside, they carried the responsibility of protecting the world the day they first came to the surface…and they intended to keep living up to that responsibility, no matter the cost.

"Sensei, we intend to bring in Karai as a last resort; we want her to recover, too." Leo implored, a hand to his upper plastron to emphasize his desperation. "But we're still going to stop them, no matter what it takes. We don't intend to let the Kraang or Triceratons have their way…we don't want to risk losing our home or losing you. We can do this, Sensei…just believe in us."

Bishop and Fugitoid waited quietly in the background, both listening to the Turtles make their case along with Casey and April trying to contact Kurtzman and the Mutanimals. No matter what the rat decided, saving this planet was top priority, even if it meant sacrifices had to be made. Finally, Splinter sighed and raised his head, eyes open and radiating a begrudging understanding of the gravity of the situation. Whether he liked it or not…Leonardo was right.

"Very well, my sons. But do not think I am letting you accomplish this mission alone…I am going with you." Splinter concluded firmly, much to the surprise of his sons. "I will not allow these otherworldly visitors to destroy anything on this planet, or anyone."

With a firm nod, Donnie went up to the chalkboard and pointed to a drawing of the ocean. "Our first priority should be the Technodrome. We have to prevent it from rising from the ocean…but if something happens that it does, then we make it sink for the last time. Then, we can use the stealth ships onboard to launch an aerial attack on the Triceratons once they arrive. In both cases, we need all the help we can get. Mutanimals, Cheyloe and the others, Karai…whomever we can get. We don't know what to expect from the Triceratons…so we have to be ready."

"Guys!" April called from the main area. "The Mutanimals are coming to help! They're on their way right now!"

"Good." The lead turtle spoke in relief. "All right, let's get the Turtle Sub ready, and go from there."

* * *

"I appreciate your dedication to work, Cheyloe, but you don't need to run yourself so ragged all the time. I've seen you sneak energy drinks into the break room."

Cheyloe scratched the back of her head and smiled nervously at the Asian woman walking next to her. "You got me, Dr. Yeoh. I can't help but be a workaholic; someone's got to make up for the lazy nurses' slack, and that someone is me!"

Dr. Margaret Yeoh quietly chuckled before waving hi to a long-time patient being wheeled to his room, turning back to the brunette and continuing, "Surely you have friends you hang out with and ease the pressure. What about your roommates you talk about so much? They're not workaholics as well, are they?"

"They just take extra shifts for extra cash; I'm at the apartment by myself most of the time." Chey admitted, fiddling with the papers in her hand before giving them to Dr. Yeoh. "But…I do have a group of friends I hang out with…one in particular. He's very intelligent, and very sweet, too! You could say…he's been helping me with a rough patch in my life."

The two women kept talking as they made their way to the nurse's station, checking over records and saying hello to familiar patients and their families. Right when they passed a small family waiting room, they stopped when the panicked yelps of patient family members hit their ears. The people were huddled in their seats, pointing frantically at the television screen mounted on the upper wall, prompting Cheyloe's immediate interest. It was a live news broadcast at the docks…but it wasn't the location that caught her interest.

 _"_ _After several reports coming in from submarines and cargo ships, we're here investigating claims of a mysterious underwater structure reminiscent of the craft-wait, what is this!?"_ The reporter swiftly turned around and saw the water bubbling and parting…revealing a large, metallic dome with magenta lights flashing from it. _"O-Oh my God, are you getting this!? Wait, wait…I've just received reports of military jets coming upon a large structure in the atmosphere as well! It's…it's shaped like a giant landmass with several domes! Viewers, we are witnessing another alien invasion!"_

While the waiting room occupants panicked and spoke in hushed voices, Cheyloe dropped the papers she didn't give to Dr. Yeoh and felt her jaw fall open. This was reminiscent of the tale Donatello told her of the first attempted Kraang invasion, the one that happened before she moved to New York. Now she could see the latest one with her own eyes on the plasma television nearby. But that, coupled with some other sort of alien entity making its way to Earth, made her heart race and her breathing quick. Where there was an alien invasion…the Turtles would be there to fight back…and possibly get hurt or killed. As a nurse, she had to perform her duty to heal the sick and wounded, even if it meant she had to end her shift early.

"Dr. Yeoh, I need to leave work early."

Dr. Yeoh looked at Cheyloe in shock; she was never the type to want to leave work early. "Why is that?"

"Something bad's about to go down, and I have to make sure my friends survive."

Before the woman could ask for more details, the brunette already took off down the hall and for the elevator, almost knocking over a few interns and patient IV racks. Cheyloe knew she couldn't put up much of a fight wearing scrubs and slip-proof shoes. She would stop by the apartment, dress in the appropriate 'battle attire', get her pistol loaded, and go help the Turtles. For a moment, as she finally found herself in the slow-moving elevator, she thought of Donnie's insistent wish for her not to put herself in danger anymore. As much as she wanted to promise him she would…she couldn't.

She wouldn't let any of them end up like Embry.

She found herself so busy rushing to the apartment that she ignored her phone vibrating in her pocket before going to voicemail. On the screen, the info showed one missed call from Donatello…

* * *

"I have to go out there! I have to help my brothers stop them!"

Karai tried to raise off the sofa, but found herself pushed back down by Anna. She opened her mouth to keep on with her rant, but the older woman cut her off quickly. "Absolutely not! You still haven't finished your antibiotic regiment, and you're still weak from exposure! Going out there is an immediate death sentence!"

The kunoichi sneered and narrowed her brown eyes. "Then why don't YOU go out there and do something about it instead of babysitting ME!? Someone has to make sure the Turtles don't get killed!"

The ponytailed brunette frowned, the lack of makeup on her face making her seem much sterner than normally shown. Her glares always seemed to put Cheyloe and Kaitlyn in their places, so why wouldn't they work on Karai? "If I let you out there, you father will have our HEADS. The last thing he needs after being without you for eighteen years is to have you taken away AGAIN!" A snort came out of her nose and she grouchily added, "Besides, if I left, you'd just sneak out."

Karai huffed and sat back down; why did she have to be under the watch of a telepath? Sure, Princess O'Neil apparently had psychic powers too, but she wasn't as annoying with them as Anna was. The woman had a point, though; if she went out there half-cocked and still recovering from exposure, she'd expect to have a greater risk of being killed. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Anna, Cheyloe, and Kaitlyn just had the best intentions for her. But she hated being confined here; it reminded her too much of how confined she felt under Shredder's fist. It still left a sour taste in her mouth that she called him 'Father' for almost all her life…the man who claimed to be her father was the same man who slaughtered her mother. All because Tang Shen rejected him.

The kunoichi suddenly noticed the signal going out on the flat-screen television, prompting her to narrow her eyes again. "What's wrong with the TV?"

As the two focused on the television, a televised broadcast appeared over what was some cheesy reality show. This wasn't an ordinary broadcast, however…because instead of some random person, what appeared looked like a humanoid Triceratops with a metal plate on its beak.

 _"_ _Greetings, Earthlings…I am Commander Mozar."_ The reptilian creature spoke, its voice remaining monotonous. _"For years, hideous aliens known as the Kraang have plagued your planet, attempting time and time again to terraform it for their own selfish desires. They have also created multitudes of monsters preying upon you with their horrific experiments, making none of you safe. We Triceratons offer our services to eradicate this alien infestation, and we ask for nothing in return."_ Karai and Anna watched the Triceraton's eyes suddenly narrow, and they immediately had a dark feeling about this. _"Unfortunately, this eradication will come at the cost of your planet. While we do not have the means of destroying this infested planet YET, we shall have it soon. Enjoy the rest of your day."_

Once the sinister message ended and the regular program came back on, Karai and Anna paled once they absorbed the impact of the words. Seconds later came a frantic text message from Kaitlyn asking, in her words, what the hell was going on. If Kaitlyn saw it, then Cheyloe saw it as well, and there was no denying the gravity of the situation. Now remembering that she voiced protest to Karai going on the battlefield, Anna rethought her stance for a brief moment before looking at the kunoichi.

"…I've changed my mind." The ponytailed brunette murmured. "I don't care if your father gets mad…we're going out there to fight those walking fossils."

Karai sat surprised, but soon found herself smirking at the woman's change of heart. "…Sounds like a plan."

It took a few moments, but Karai armored herself up and quickly left the apartment with Anna, but not before Cheyloe came to gather her supplies and change clothes. In another section of the city, Dr. Rockwell and Pigeon Pete raced alongside Casey, April, and Splinter on the rooftops, intent on taking down any Kraang or Triceratons that made contact with land. As for the Turtles, Slash, and Leatherhead, they successfully embarked from the Turtle Sub and into enemy territory before it fully rose from the ocean…the Technodrome. All groups would end up finding themselves converging onto the same, dire scene appearing in front of them.

The hovering landmass that was the Triceraton mothership.

* * *

 **Hope this wasn't too all over the place, but I wanted some build-up for the arrival of the Triceratons. Now, what's going to happen will be quite different from what happened in "Annihilation: Earth", but I won't say how. And like I stated earlier, the next couple of chapters, you might want to reach for some Kleenexes. Welp, stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	35. Sacrifice

**Author's Note: Well, I've gotten another chapter up pretty quick, haven't I? I wanted to have this done already while I got a few days off. So we're still continuing with the Turtles vs the Kraang and Triceratons. Just as I said in the last chapter, this is going to be one of those you'll want to have some tissues on hand for. I won't spoil anything, but something bad is going to happen to one character in particular. Who will it be? Well, you'll just have to read and find out! I hope I don't sound sadistic writing this.**

* * *

Chapter 35: Sacrifice

 _"_ _Let's get to the engine room and blow it to pieces! That'll take down the Technodrome for sure!"_

 _"_ _If the Kraang know we're on board, they'll have the engine room heavily guarded. There's no telling WHAT they have waiting for us!"_

 _"_ _Or WHO! What if that annoying Kraang Subprime's here?"_

 _"_ _Or worse…Kraang PRIME."_

If they could see it right now, the Turtles would realize the entire city had its eyes on them…well, more specifically, their actions and what they did to the Technodrome. When they entered the structure to do battle, they didn't expect to have both Kraang Prime and Kraang Subprime in the engine room, waiting for their capture. As if that weren't bad enough, Slash and Leatherhead ended up surrounded shortly after. This wasn't part of the plan; it should've been easier to destroy this place. Having the head honchos here meant they would either find a way out or fail miserably trying.

Fortunately, they had a secret weapon they didn't expect…and that secret weapon was Bishop.

Bishop came aboard the ship unnoticed, sporting his own blaster and a few Kraang Droids beside him, only these droids were white in color and possessed blue lights, as opposed to the classic Kraang grey and magenta. These had to be fellow Utroms, maybe lower rank. Needless to say, Kraang Prime and especially Kraang Subprime were flabbergasted by the appearance of the Utrom.

"Bishop!?" Kraang Subprime spat disbelievingly. "What're YOU doing here!? You're not the type to get your hands dirty!"

"On the contrary, Knight." Bishop addressed, anger hidden in his tone. "You are the one who enjoys forcing other to do your dirty work…and that ends here." He turned to the Turtles after his Utrom allies subdued the surprised Kraang guards. "Turtles, we will hold them off. Plant this explosive onto the engine core NOW."

The Utrom tossed a small detonation device in Donnie's direction, the turtle instantly catching it and examining it carefully. It looked no bigger than a softball, but the genius turtle already surmised that it had enough firepower to blow the Technodrome to smithereens. While that would probably do enough damage to Kraang Prime, that would also mean killing other Kraang-Utroms-under his control; did Bishop already realize this? No time for sentimental thinking, as he and his brothers bolted for the engine core in the middle of the room.

"STOP THEM!" Kraang Prime roared, teeth bared.

The Kraang soldiers started shooting at the terrapins, but help arrived when Leatherhead ferociously threw them to the ground and clamped them in his terrifying jaws, shaking them like ragdolls. Slash proceeded to let out a battle cry and pummel them with his humongous mace, sending them away like home-run baseballs. Bishop decided to engage in combat with Kraang Subprime, formerly known as Knight, to reopen old wounds and settle the score once and for all. All they had to do was plant the bomb, steal the Stealth Ships, and get out…simple, right? Well, not so simple with booms coming from outside. These weren't the booms of bombs from the outside; these were booms that resulted from the Technodrome being fired upon.

"The Triceratons are attacking!" Mikey shouted, hands on his head.

That prompted Donnie to growl out, pressing a button on the detonation device and shove it onto the engine core with more force than he intended. "Let's get out of here, NOW! Bishop, come on!"

Bishop and his fellow Utroms left their positions and quickly began the evacuation plan, Slash and Leatherhead following behind before the Turtles trailed seconds later. Kraang Subprime panicked at the sight of the bomb, and took it upon himself to reach over and deactivate it; he did it plenty of times before. What ended up hindering that goal was another set of blasts from the incoming Triceraton stealth fighters…one thing the Turtles would thank the reptilian invaders for right now. The mutants and Utroms found the Stealth Ship hangars and split into groups, jumped into them, and piloted them out of the Technodrome. It only took a few seconds before…

 _BOOM_

The spherical ship had a great chunk of it missing now, and black smoke billowed from it, much to the shock of the New York denizens. They all watched, eyes filled with relief and horror, as the Technodrome slowly took plummeted and made impact with the deep ocean, sending waves crashing upon the beaches and docks of the shipyard. They paid no heed to the three Stealth Ships zooming away from the scene of the explosion or the groups celebrating the first victory. That celebration proved short-lived when they found themselves being shot at by black, arrow-shaped ships…Triceraton stealth-fighters.

"Take 'em down!" Leo commanded, panic in his voice. "Don't let them hurt any people! Slash, Leatherhead, watch out-"

A shot from a Triceraton fighter hit the Stealth Ship Slash and Leatherhead occupied, making them quickly descend towards the ocean; if they didn't get out, they would surely die. Fortunately, to the relief of the Turtles and the Utroms, the two Mutanimals were smart enough to jump out and dive into the ocean at a safe distance before the ship crashed and exploded, leaving the two floating in the water and swimming towards shore.

"T-That was close…" Mikey breathed out in relief. "Leatherhead's okay…"

"Y-Yeah…Slash, too." Raph nodded feverishly. "What do we do now, Fearless? We keep shooting them down?"

"I don't know if we have to worry about that." Donnie interjected, pointing towards the display showing the outside and onto a particular group of ships. "Look there!"

All the Turtles saw a triad of ships fly by, only they weren't intent on shooting down the two remaining Stealth Ships. No, they were more concerned with carrying precious cargo towards the center of the city…something that looked akin to a large bomb. Bishop and Fugitoid weren't kidding; they really were going to blow up the city if the android didn't surrender. Before any of them could speak, Donnie's T-Phone rang and he promptly picked it up. Who could be calling right now?

 _"_ _Donatello, this is Professor Honeycutt!"_ It was the Fugitoid. _"I can see from the news feed in the lair…they're transporting the bomb, aren't they? Oh dear…Turtles, to save your planet, I fear I have no choice but to surrender myself. If I can do that, then…"_

"No Professor, you're NOT surrendering yourself to them!" The purple-masked turtle barked, louder than he intended. "Give me enough time, and I can deactivate it! We'll stop the Triceratons from blowing up the city; just don't make any stupid decisions!"

 _"…_ _All right…I have faith in you, my boy."_ The android relented, albeit begrudgingly. _"Good luck to you all."_

Once the Fugitoid disconnected the call, Donnie took to the controls and began flying towards land. "Bishop, if you can hear me, we need to get to the center of the city and deactivate that bomb! Hurry!"

* * *

"…That's the bomb, isn't it?" Casey questioned, his eyes glued to the ships in the sky. "C-Can we stop it?"

April, Splinter, Rockwell, and Pigeon Pete didn't answer that question. They were too preoccupied watching said bomb being transported to its intended location by the Triceraton ships, thousands of thoughts going through their heads on what to do next. They too watched the Technodrome go down, and they also saw their friends escape without much harm…but now they had to deal with this. If they didn't get to that bomb in time, they could very well say goodbye to New York, or even the planet Earth. One option would be…no, they couldn't go as low as to surrendering the Fugitoid to the Triceratons; that would basically mean surrendering Earth itself!

"I apologize Splinter, but Pete and I must go tend to Slash and Leatherhead." Rockwell spoke, bowing his head. "We will meet with you again shortly!"

Splinter nodded in understanding. "Go to them. We will continue on…be careful, my friends."

Once the two Mutanimals rushed to help their teammates, the rat stared towards Central Park as he pondered what to do next. Even with his skills, they were out-matched by the Triceratons, who were much bigger, stronger, and deadlier. He would honestly take all the help they could get right now…even if it meant he had to ask the last person he wanted to for help in defeating these invaders.

"What are we gonna do, Master Splinter?" April asked, pleadingly.

Splinter lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I did not want to do this, April…but I am afraid we will have to ask for someone of my level to help us defeat these foes."

"Don't even THINK about asking the Shredder for help!"

Splinter, April, and Casey jumped at the voice, prompting them to turn around and see who it was. To their astonishment, it was none-other than Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn, but they weren't alone. A moment later, slithering in, was Karai herself, fully shifted into snake form and ready for a fight.

"Miwa?" The rat gasped, quickly growing angry. "Miwa, I made it clear that you do not need to fight! You are still recovering! It is too dangerous to fight the Triceratons!"

"Lisssten to me, Father!" Karai hissed, eyes narrowed. "Weak or strong, I'm not going to ssstand by and watch my brothersss be killed! They need ALL of usss!"

Splinter remained unconvinced, shooting a small glare at the young women behind the snake, and went back to arguing. "I will not lose you like I lost your mother! You were taken from me all your life by Saki, and I will not allow these Triceratons to take away my only daughter!"

"If we just ssstand by arguing, they'll be killed, and you know it!" Karai shot back. "You'd give anything to protect Leo and the othersss, well, sssso will I! You're not ssstopping me, Father, no matter what!"

"Splinter…" Cheyloe interjected, glancing at Central park for a moment before staring back at the rat. "You can't convince her otherwise…she's ready. We all have to be there for them, no matter what happens out there."

The rat huffed and lowered his head again, mulling over the words spoken by Karai and Cheyloe. True, he still feared that Karai would end up lost for another many years, or killed just like Tang Shen. However, for her behavior, he could blame his own stubbornness and the fighting spirit Shen had since the day they met. She really did take after her parents…and even he knew he couldn't convince Karai to go back and rest during this invasion. Besides…they needed all the help they could get, right? "…Very well…but I shall be keeping a close eye on you, my daughter. After this invasion, expect a round of randori in the dojo!"

At that, Kaitlyn cracked her knuckles and gritted her teeth. "Awright, how are we gonna crack some dino skulls?"

"Allow me to provide you with some assistance."

Everyone turned and saw none-other than Bishop arriving, along with this two Utrom allies. The leading Utrom came forward and had his followers present multiple items to the group, the first one being Chey. What she received looked like an upgraded gun; it certainly felt heavier compared to a standard pistol.

"It has bullets strong enough to pierce through Triceraton hides." Bishop stated matter-of-factly. "Use the ammo wisely." He went on to present items to April and Casey, which were a small blaster and advanced-looking pucks. "Use this laser pistol and these photon pucks wisely, as well. Do the rest of you require weapons?"

Splinter shook his head. "I do not, and I believe Anna and Kaitlyn will use their abilities to their advantage…my daughter as well. I thank you, Bishop."

The Utrom gave a bow of respect. "Good. Now, let us make our way to Central Park. The Turtles and Mutanimals will meet us shortly."

As they left for the park, April stopped and stared ahead with a heavy chest and mind. She certainly wished she had the power to see the future right now, because it scared her to death not knowing how everything would go down in the end...

* * *

The Turtles rushed as fast as they could to reach the bomb, and going through the city proved more difficult than anticipated. That was because Triceraton troops already entered the city, attacking anyone even daring to go towards Central Park. Several humans fled in terror, others trying in vain to fight back against the reptilian invaders, and many stayed in their homes in protest of evacuation. Whether or not any people saw them didn't matter anymore; saving the planet proved more important than secret identities.

"Hurry guys!" Leo demanded, panting heavily. "We're almost there!"

"Guys!" A familiar voice called, prompting the Turtles to stop and turn to the side. Once they took a moment, they saw Splinter, April, Casey, Karai, the ladies, and the Utroms gaining up behind them. In an alleyway behind some overturned cars, the Mutanimals quickly emerged to join in as well. Finally, much unexpected, came Muckman and Mondo Gecko, mutants they encountered previously, emerging to offer their assistance.

"Wait, Karai's here, too!?" Raphael asked in surprise.

"Who did you expect, Shredder?" The snake asked, dripping with sarcasm. "I'm helping too, whether you like it or not, _brother_."

Even Leo looked surprised, but he was able to shake it off and focus on what was important. "Well, all the help we can get is great. Let's focus on a plan…our main objective is to disarm that bomb and find a way to get rid of it. Fugitoid sent us info on exactly how to disarm it. Donnie?"

"Well, if the Triceratons press the timer button to activate it…" Donatello began, examining the text and schematics Fugitoid sent him moments earlier. "…We just have to press it again to deactivate it. Then I can move in and render it harmless! But there's the matter of the Triceratons."

"If we get stuck in a fight, someone'll have to fend off the Triceratons until Donnie can deactivate it." Leonardo added in, catching everyone off-guard. "I'll volunteer to do that once the bomb's halted-"

"I'll do it."

The group stared at the one who spoke up: Cheyloe. While they wanted to ask exactly why she would volunteer herself to guard the bomb, the brunette spoke up first. "I can hold them off at long-range; Bishop gave me the ammo to do so. If I have to, I can borrow April's laser pistol, too. You guys have more of a fighting chance against those fossils…I don't. If it comes down to it, I could even make a fire trap…"

Donnie gulped at this; why would she want to play the guard over the bomb against killer dinosaurs? This had to be another 'go-in-reckless-because-I-have-a-death-wish' situation for her, and he wasn't going to allow it. "It's too dangerous! Let one of us guard it!"

"I've made up my mind, Donnie." Cheyloe confirmed, her voice straining. "Just have faith in me."

The genius turtle wanted to argue further, but Leo cut him off by replying, "All right, but we'll fight quickly so you won't have to do it long. Guys…I don't know if all of us will make it through this, but I for one can say that I'm glad to have fought alongside my family and friends to the bitter end."

"Don't act like we're gonna die, Leo!" Michelangelo retorted. "We're all gonna go home alive, right after we beat these creeps!" Getting out his nunchucks, the freckled turtle smirked and added, "All right…let's kick their Jurassic!"

Everyone let out a cry of battle, except for Bishop and his Utroms, before charging for Central Park to end things once and for all. The Triceratons weren't going to destroy their city, their planet, their home, and get away with it. One way or another, they would fall and fall hard. They charged further into the park and found the bomb…and the timer already set to go off in just a few minutes. Among the Triceratons setting the bomb up was the very Triceraton who made the televised broadcast hours earlier…Commander Mozar. The leading Triceraton noticed the group of mutants, humans, superhumans, and Utroms coming to oppose him, and he couldn't help but chuckle at their resolve.

"So, you Earthlings decided to stick around and stop us?" Mozar smirked arrogantly. "Don't you realize we're only doing this for the good of all? Surely the Kraang have terrorized you for too long!"

"That's not a good excuse ta destroy our planet, ya scum!" Raphael spat venomously. "Yer no different from the Kraang!"

At that comparison, the Triceraton commander growled lowly. "So you would risk your planet being terraformed just to halt our work? I can make it easier for you…just hand over the Fugitoid and we MAY spare your ball of dirt."

"Not a chance!" Leo retorted, katanas drawn. "LET'S GO!"

The group charged at the Triceratons, locking into brutal combat. While the Turtles attacked and landed a few blows on the troops, the Mutanimals also landed jabs at the reptilian aliens, bringing a few down to their knees and disabling their rifles. Karai spat acid at a few troops and hit them in the sides with her armored tail, Anna and Rockwell teamed up to psychically fling a few into the air, and Kaitlyn used her strength to slam a Sedan onto an unsuspecting troop's head. Of course, as hard-headed as the Triceratons were, they kept on coming at the defenders of Earth. Splinter was the first to take notice of the bomb's timer and remembered what Donatello said: press the button again to stop the timer. With that, the rat dashed past several Triceratons, avoiding their laser blasts and their attempts to grab him. The timer already had less than a minute left; Mozar's mini-speech had them distracted. But if he could just make it…just a little more…

Before the timer could go off, it immediately stopped on the last time bar…and revealed Splinter's fingers on the precious button. The others noticed, and felt great relief wash over them, though they knew it wasn't over just yet. Now it was Cheyloe's cue. The brunette immediately dashed forward and took her place in front of the bomb's timer.

"I've got this, Splinter!" She shouted, loading the gun Bishop gave her. "Now go and help them, sir!"

The rat gave a quick nod before going and helping his sons take down some troublesome Triceratons. While they were all putting up a good fight, their numbers began to dwindle. It started with Muckman and Mondo Gecko getting thrown to the ground and placed in prison bubbles. Rockwell followed, having his helmet knocked off and his powers disabled. Slash followed next, then Casey, and then Bishop ended up having his robotic body destroyed, prompting the small Utrom to flee. Karai kept up a decent fight, but found herself laying on the ground exhausted; she pushed her body too much and paid the price for it. Before she could be captured, she found herself saved by her father and a laser blast from April. As much as she didn't want to…she'd give Princess O'Neil her thanks.

Cheyloe managed to keep up her fight, shooting several Triceratons with the specialized bullets as they came closer. A few were dead instantly, while others lay on the ground in pain. However, the gun suddenly jammed on her, making her throw it down on the ground in frustration. Well, maybe she could pry the timer off with her knife until something could be done, so she pulled the switchblade out and began the delicate task of trying to gently pry the device off…but that didn't go unnoticed by Mozar.

"…If you want something done right, you may as well do it yourself."

The commanding Triceraton went to the fountain and picked up a piece of cargo brought by his troops…a traditional Triceraton sword, courtesy of his old and long-dead rival, Traximus. A chuckle escaped his beak at the human female's attempts to take apart the bomb with 'primitive' tools, but she and these other rebels wouldn't be a problem for long. Once she was down, he would easily reactivate the bomb and coax the Fugitoid out of hiding.

When Donatello had a troop down, he happened to glance over and see Cheyloe distracted, and Mozar swiftly stomping towards her with that huge sword. His auburn eyes widened and his heart raced; if she didn't get out of there, she would be killed instantly! He wanted to shout, but found himself unable to speak a word. A tiny shuriken wouldn't even be enough to deter Mozar; what was he going to do? How was he going to save her!?

That's when time slowed, and the genius turtle felt his body immediately begin to move, his breathing matching his racing heart in speed. The sounds of laser blasts, katanas, nunchucks, sai…everything became a dull echo in his ears. He didn't even pay attention to the Bo staff slipping from his hands and to the ground, or some of the others stopping to see what he was doing. Mozar lifted the sword in the air with his right hand, and he could see Chey's nose twitch at catching the Triceraton's scent. He could see her slowly turning around and looking at the alien in horror, grinning menacingly at the miniscule human he was about to cut down. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let that happen…

As the blade started coming down, Cheyloe closed her eyes in terror and braced herself for death…until a voice forced her eyes open.

"NOOOOOOO!"

At that moment, Donatello stood in front of her, arms stretched out, shouting at the Triceraton commander. At that moment, the blade came down with a deafening slice. Before anyone actually processed what happened…Donnie absorbed the blow of the sword, giving him a large wound in his plastron, extending from his left shoulder all the way down to the top of his right thigh. A large, DEEP wound. Blood flew out of the wound, along with small pieces of plastron and his cut belt, as Donnie slowly collapsed backwards in front of the screaming Cheyloe. That's when everyone else turned around and realized what happened…right in time to see the genius turtle collapse onto the ground…and not moving.

"DONATELLO!" They shouted in unison.

April stood agape at the scene before her, now feeling a burning pain coursing through her skull. It was the same feeling she got during their last confrontation with Kraang Prime, right before they fled New York…and now it came again with the damage done to her best friend. Gripping her head in agony, the redhead suddenly let out an ear-piercing scream as a golden aura erupted from her in shockwave form. That shockwave was enough to not only knock Mozar and the other Triceratons backwards, but short-circuit the bomb and render it completely useless.

Not paying attention to the others attempting to help their brother, Cheyloe stared at Mozar slowly getting up and felt unbridled rage overtake her mind. With an animalistic yell, she picked the gun off of the ground and pulled the trigger…leaving a fresh bullet hole in the commander's head. With Mozar now dead on the ground and a few horrified Triceratons staring, she threw the weapon down and turned her attention back to Donnie. Just looking at him, the damage was worse than just a slice. Pieces of his plastron came off from the metal blade, and the thin skin separating his plastron from his muscles and organs was all but obliterated. The continual bleeding was the worst of the problems, however.

"Donatello!" Leo screamed as he got to his knees and stared down at his brother. "This isn't happening…he can't be…"

"Donnie!" Raph shouted, shaking his brother's bloodied shoulder. "D-Donnie, c'mon man, wake up!"

"D-Donnie!" Mikey sobbed as he grabbed his brother's head and cradled it. "Donnie, don't be dead! G-Get up!"

"Get out of the way!" Cheyloe forcefully shoved the other turtles aside and leaned over Donatello, who remained deathly still. No…no, he couldn't be gone. She had to save him! Not caring that her hands got coated in fresh blood, she placed them on top of his plastron and immediately began chest compressions, followed by her blowing air into his mouth. "Come on, c-come on…breathe, dammit!"

"Stop!" Splinter shouted in a cracked voice, noticing the compressions making more blood ooze from Donnie's gaping wound. "He is still bleeding! Stop now!"

"Shut up and let me do this!" The brunette shrieked, continuing feverishly with the CPR administration. As she stared at Donnie with burning eyes, an image formed next to him in her mind, one that she didn't want to imagine ever again. Right next to him…she saw the ghostly image of Embry's dead body mirroring his. Just as she feared, it happened again…Donnie sacrificed himself to save her, just like Embry did those two years ago.

"Donnie, breathe!"

April collapsed against Raph in sobs, and Mikey held onto Leo as they both cried. Anna, Kaitlyn, Casey, and Karai watched the scene in horror, while the Mutanimals got up and already began the mourning process. Splinter had to turn his head away, to hide his tears and painful sobs over his second-youngest son.

 _Not my son…not my son…none of them are supposed to die before me…_

No matter how many compressions Cheyloe did, enough to probably do more damage to his ribs than the blade already inflicted, Donatello remained akin to a corpse…

Cheyloe finally stopped the chest compressions after almost five minutes; her hands were too tired to do more. The brunette breathed rapidly and stared down at the turtle's body as tears now flowed freely from her eyes. Feeling her strength give out, both physically and mentally, she simply leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Donnie's, her tears hitting his paled face like rain.

"Donnie, no…please…" She sobbed, ignoring everyone else sobbing as well. "I can't lose you, too…I can't lose you like Embry…p-please come back…please…"

Donatello didn't respond. He remained on the ground with the gaping wound in his chest.

No one paid attention to the Triceratons calling a retreat and dragging away Mozar's body.

* * *

 **Well, here's a tense cliffhanger to end this chapter! Next chapter, a certain mother and a young boy are going to play big roles in determining the fate of our dear turtle in purple. Will Donatello survive? Or will he be dead and gone, mourned by his loved ones? Stay tuned to learn of his fate and get ready for the next arc!**


	36. Out of Body

**Author's Note: Here we go with the conclusion of the Triceraton invasion! Donatello finds himself not alive, but not dead, either, and he has to make a choice whether he lives or dies. Thus, he's going to have a little help to convince him to make the right choice. Not only that, but our dear Shredder will be active again, and we're introduced to a new villain with her own motives. Who is this villain? Well you need to read and find out, of course!**

* * *

Chapter 36: Out of Body

 _Light._

 _All that stared him in the face was bright light._

 _The light felt warm…safe…welcoming._

 _Was this the light at the end of the tunnel people talked about experiencing? Why would they want to get away from it? It wasn't so bad…he felt himself wanting to go._

 _What stopped him?_

 _Donatello opened his e_ yes and found himself staring into the light, right in front of him. Behind him wasn't a light…for some reason, it resembled a vast forest, and he himself had his shell against a tree. He looked down at himself, and he was, in his eyes, naked. No belt, no bandages, no knee and shoulder pads, no mask…he was totally bare from head to toe. He couldn't shake this weird pressure hitting his chest over and over again, at least until he took another look at the hypnotizing light. Pushing himself to his feet, the genius turtle slowly walked towards the light, wanting it to consume him and take him from this place; how did he get here? The last thing he remembered was rushing between Cheyloe and Mozar, but the rest was a blank.

As his fingers were about to caress the warm light and allow it to consume his body, something stopped him.

"Wait!"

Donnie flinched at the loud command, recognizing the voice. It prompted him to turn around and locate source; he wanted to ask why he would be denied the comfort of the light. But in a way, he knew the answer...he just needed it confirmed, like he always did. Once he fully turned, he found himself staring at a familiar face, slowly bringing a smile to his lips.

"…Embry."

Embry, the child he met thanks to the Time Scepter; the child that helped him during his Spirit Quest…here he was, looking unchanged. Still with that messy dark hair with a mini-ponytail on top, still with that ruddy face, and still with the missing teeth and bright brown eyes. The boy didn't seem surprised to see him, and he wondered why, but that would be answered later. Right now, he had to know why Embry didn't want him to go into the light. But that would also wait when the boy grinned up at him.

"We haven't talked to each other in a while!" Embry beamed, energy abundant. "Not since you were on the mountain fighting that Tiger Claw guy!"

Donnie chuckled, in spite of his confusion. The humor soon stopped and the genius turtle looked down at Embry with sad auburn eyes, making the child cease in his reminiscing. "Embry…where ARE we? This isn't New York, is it?"

"No…I dunno what it's called. I just call it the place in-between." Embry replied simply.

"In-between?" Donnie inquired. "In-between what?"

"In-between life and death."

That was when it hit him. Donnie began remembering everything…he remembered seeing Mozar about to kill Cheyloe with that large blade. He remembered running to protect her from him. He remembered being cut down, hearing her scream, hearing his family scream…remembering his own heartbeat and breathing ceasing. "…I'm dead, aren't I?"

"Not really." Embry assured, glancing at the light. "But you will be if you go into the light. I know you think it's nice, and it is…but you're not ready to go yet, Donnie."

"What? But…" The genius turtle bit his lip, unsure of what to think. If it was so nice, why wouldn't he be ready to go? Why couldn't it be his time to go; he made a warrior's sacrifice, for crying out loud! Couldn't he have peace and warmth as a reward? "Then…why won't you go into the light, too?"

"It's cuz…" Embry stared down and rocked on the heels of his feet, keeping his gaze on the grass beneath them and not really wanting to reveal his reason. But he had to, and he had more to tell the turtle. "I still have more stuff to do…that means I have to convince you to go back. There's so much you have to do, and I don't want you to give up!"

"But…"

"No buts, Donnie! That's what Chey always says!"

Figures…there'd be no convincing Embry otherwise; the kid was dead-set in making him listen. He wouldn't disrespect Embry, especially since his own life hung in the balance. Maybe another approach would be successful, and that approach would involve changing the subject ever-so-slightly. Kids did that a lot to begin with. "Hey, Embry…I'm pretty sure you remember meeting me…right before you died. I-I'm sorry…I feel like I basically talked you into sacrificing yourself to save Cheyloe. I never intended for you to die young…so please, PLEASE forgive me, kiddo…"

"Huh?" Embry looked genuinely confused at the apology. "Donnie, I'm not mad at you over that! You didn't talk me into it…well, you did make me brave, but I wanted to protect Chey. That Si-zee-gee guy was gonna hurt her, and I had to help her! And then…" The boy suddenly cast his head down again, only this time to hide the fat tears welling up in his eyes. "…I made her sad. Cuz I did that, she's always sad; she forces herself to be happy when she's really sad. I-I don't wanna make her sad, Donnie…I-I should be sorry, n-not you."

Seeing the child actually crying broke Donnie's heart, prompting him to kneel forward and embrace the boy in his strong arms. "Shh, shh…Embry, you have no reason to be sorry. You followed your heart…you loved Chey so much you gave your life for her…she just hated it that you died so young and died the way you did. She…it's a little something grown-ups call survivor's guilt."

"But…why does she want so bad to be punished for it?" Embry questioned further. "Is it cuz of me?"

The genius turtle shook his head. "No, it's not your fault, Embry. Chey just has to learn to grieve over you differently."

"Do not cry, Embry…you are too adorable to have a face stained with tears."

Donnie halted in place; he knew this voice, too. Turning back towards the trees, he could see a small river and a bridge over it, and he could make out the figure of what resembled a woman on the bridge. As she got closer, he could see it was the very person he suspected.

Tang Shen.

Instead of the white dress shirt and blue jeans she wore in the past, Shen was adorned in a yellow kimono patterned with white cherry blossoms, held together with a sash bearing the Hamato Clan symbol. While her hair was certainly long in the past, it seemed much longer now, and was beautifully decorated with a lotus flower comb. Seeing her like this made the turtle's jaw hang open; he never saw beauty like this. Embry immediately stopped crying and ran to Shen before clinging to her leg. The woman simply smiled and petted the boy's head…almost as if he were her own. Since Embry no longer had his parents, it seemed fitting that he would take up with her.

"T-Tang Shen…" Donnie sputtered, falling to his knees and lowering his head. "I-I can't believe it's you. Shen, I'm…I'm so sorry we couldn't save you. We would've if we could, but if we did…"

He froze mid-speech when he felt a hand lift his chin up, showing his bleary eyes. Shen offered a smile for him and gazed into his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Donatello. I understand now that you were from the future, and you were not allowed to save me…lest you not exist."

"That doesn't mean it was right to let you die…or let Miwa be taken by Shredder." The turtle argued weakly.

Shen rose up, her smile disappearing, and held Embry closer. "I fear that is my fault, my child. You and your brothers warned me of the evil in Saki's heart, but I foolishly believed there was only good in him. Once I realized the truth…it was too late. If I had just listened to you, then perhaps Yoshi would not have the suffering of my demise still in his heart, and perhaps Miwa would not have been mutated against her will. But I don't regret saving Yoshi's life, and I am glad now that Miwa is back with him."

"No, no, Shen, don't blame yourself!" Donnie insisted, shaking his head. "You only did what you thought was right! You and Splinter both thought you could bring him back to his senses! But some people are just too far gone...that's what happened to my friend, Timothy. I can empathize with you on that, Shen."

That brought a smile back to the woman's face, and she carefully helped Donatello up onto his feet. "There is one thing I can do to make amends for what happened that day…and that is to ensure you live a long and prosperous life. With help from my little friend, of course."

Shen and Embry both walked to the river, beckoning Donnie to follow and watch. The two of them parted as to allow the turtle to take a look at the water. Donnie instantly leaned down, looking at the both of them for reassurance, before touching the surface and watching it ripple. Just like that, it became like a mirror, only it didn't reflect his image…it showed him what was going on in Central Park. Right there, he stared at his own lifeless body as Cheyloe frantically did more chest compressions; that explained the weird feeling in his chest this whole time. He could see his family and friends gathered around, already mourning over him. He could see the brunette lean over and cry over him, begging him not to leave. He could feel how much he wanted to wake up, just to touch them and speak to them.

"They're all really sad over you, Donnie. Cheyloe hadn't cried that much since I died. I don't ever wanna see her cry like that again." Embry murmured, hiding his face in Shen's kimono.

"I-I can't…believe I'm staring at my own body…" Donnie whispered, hands shaking. "W-What happened to Mozar? The Triceratons?"

Shen stared at the reflection of Central Park, particularly the grieving image of Splinter, somberly as she answered, "Cheyloe killed him. The rest of these Triceratons fled in fear, taking his body with them. She did it in retaliation for your sacrifice."

 _Just like Syzygy._ Donnie swallowed a lump in his throat, chest tightening at the tear-stained faces of his loved ones; even Casey and Karai were crying. He paid close attention to Chey begging for him to return, watching her press her forehead to his in agony. Hands tightly gripping the grass beneath him, he took a deep breath and declared, "…I have to go back to them. I'm not ready to go yet! They need me…a-and I need them! How do I get back to them!? To her!?"

Shen and Embry both smiled, staring towards the bridge leading away from the hypnotizing light of the afterlife. "Go on that bridge…run as fast as you can." Shen replied calmly. "Once you step onto the bridge, do not look back."

With a nod, the turtle started for the bridge before stopping himself a few steps ahead. He turned towards the woman and boy to ask, "Will I ever see you two again?'

"Uh-huh!" Embry nodded feverishly. "We'll always be with you, Donnie! Tell Chey I said hi!"

"We will be with all of you." Shen reassured, smiling in a way only a mother would. "Take care, my son."

Donatello smiled as well, eyes once again bleary, before confidently turning to the bridge and bolting for it. The boards underneath his feet and the sound of the river flowing began fading, and he found himself slowly entering a blanket of mist. While he didn't dare look back, he could feel the forest disappearing, and found himself encased in sudden darkness. It proved to be deathly quiet, making him fear that he would be trapped in it for eternity. A moment later, though, he could hear garbled sobs and cries of his name…

* * *

"Cheyloe, that's enough…" Leonardo choked out bitterly. "H-He's not coming back."

"I don't believe you!" Cheyloe argued, her voice hoarse from crying as she tried one more time to press on Donatello's bloody plastron. "H-He can't be gone! He can't…"

"Please…just stop." Leo begged hoarsely, voice rising. "It's…no use."

The Mutanimals had their heads bowed, paying their respects to the genius turtle, and Splinter didn't dare look at anyone in order to hide his grief. April kept holding tightly to Raphael and kept sobbing into his shoulder, and Michelangelo gathered among Casey and Karai to let out heartfelt wails for their brother. As Cheyloe weakly pressed on Donnie's plastron for the final time, she finally collapsed over him and sobbed into his neck. It was a few seconds later, everyone halted in their mourning when they heard a loud, sharp gasp. When they all looked down…

"D-Donnie!?" April shrieked from beside Raph.

Donatello's eyes were wide opened, albeit glazed-over, and he took several deep breaths. He now felt the impact of the blow from Mozar's blade; the pain flooded through his upper body and made him grunt in misery. He ignored his agony when he saw his loved ones hovering over him and expressing disbelief of his survival. Of course, they all started smiling and shedding tears of relief that he came back to them; to them, his survival was a miracle. That moment was when he locked eyes with Cheyloe, and mustered up enough strength to reach a shaky hand up to cup her wet cheek. His breathing went from labored to calm, despite his pain, and his eyes relaxed at the sight of her. While Tang Shen and Embry were to thank to convince him to come back, he could also say the young woman staring at him helped him come back to life. Because of what happened, he had the courage to say what came across his mind the moment he saw her.

"…I love you."

Hearing him say that in a weak, croaky voice made Chey's lips quiver and more tears flood out. She reached her hand up to rest over Donnie's as she gave a weak nod; she didn't have to say anything for him to know it was the same on her part. The brunette moved herself out of the way in order to give the others a moment with him…at least until he had to be transported and his injuries tended to. True, she was over the moon that Donnie survived such a fatal blow…but he wouldn't have died for those few moments if it hadn't been for her.

"D-Donnie!" Mikey sobbed as he enveloped his brother in a hug. "W-We almost lost you forever, dude!"

"Donnie, if ya EVER do something like that again, I will RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!" Raph roared, but quickly collapsed on his knees and held his brother up. "Y-Ya died on us, bro…don't do that ever again…"

April and Casey soon swooped in to give their hugs to the injured turtle, and Karai stood away from the group. It wasn't out of apathy for Donnie coming back…but she didn't want them to see her crying again, thankful that he survived. Splinter stumbled forward, awestruck at what just happened, before hugging his son gently. "Donatello…my precious son…you are alive…"

"S-Sensei…" Donnie suddenly cried out in pain as his nerves burned. His hands immediately went to claw at his plastron and attempt to smother the sensation.

"Donnie, no! You'll get it infected!" Raph grabbed onto his brother's arms and pulled them away, lest he contaminate his open wounds. "We gotta get 'im back to the lair NOW!"

Slash immediately stepped forward and volunteered to carry the injured turtle back home; it was the least he could do to make up for hurting him in the past. With Donnie still oozing blood, the entire group rushed to get him treated. They didn't care at the moment if any civilians saw them, or if they were caught on camera. They would deal with that later. All that mattered now was that the Triceratons were gone, Fugitoid remained secured, and Donatello was alive, though not well. Whatever could possibly happen next stayed in the furthest recesses of their minds.

If they only knew what was about to come.

* * *

"Master Shredder."

The Shredder didn't avert his gaze or change his posture when the voice of Tiger Claw addressed him. For the duration of going on two weeks, his mind went over every possible location his beloved 'daughter' could be. He gave Stockman the severest punishment possible over her disappearance; the bug assured this batch of mind-control worms was unbeatable! But he knew who was truly to blame for: Hamato Yoshi. It was because of Yoshi that Shen perished, not because he was blinded by obsession. It was because of Yoshi that Karai was nowhere to be found, not because she fled from his grip. So what did Tiger Claw want that was more important than his rampant thoughts?

"What is it, Tiger Claw?" The armored ninja spoke irritably.

The tiger mutant knelt down and bowed his head. "I bring news, Master Shredder."

"If it involves these invading creatures, then do not bother." Shredder cut in, glancing towards the windows and noticing a few clouds of smoke around the city. "I could care less if the world is indeed ending."

"On the contrary, Master." Tiger Claw assured, rising up. "The alien invaders have fled. But that is not all…Karai fought them, alongside the Turtles and their allies."

Shredder's eyes widened as he shot up from his stone throne, fists clenched tightly at the mention of Karai's name. "Karai is with the Turtles!? Where are they now!?"

"I do not know." The tiger mutant admitted, bracing himself for punishment for that confession. "The influx of civilians prevented me from tracking them. I do bring additional news, however…one of the Turtles has been gravely injured by these invaders. They are weakened, thus they will be easier to strike. The citizens of New York are beginning to panic over these invasions and mutant sightings-"

"Stop." The armored ninja halted as he walked to the large windows and stared down at the city. He could see groups of people beginning to flock to local law enforcement areas, some even going towards city hall. He knew what they were doing: they were demanding something be done about the aliens and 'monsters'. They were panicked, paranoid…and easy to sway to his will.

"…Let us use this to our advantage, Tiger Claw." Shredder smirked behind his mask, his good eye narrowed at the scared people below. "We will give Karai a reason to come back…lest she lose her 'friends' to the New York citizens."

* * *

 _Yorkshire, England_

 _"_ _The alien threat seems to be over with!"_ Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe reported, ignoring the small cluster of people behind him shouting into the cameras. _"While the Triceratons seem to have left this planet in a hurry, the panic flooding our city has only intensified. No one knows why these aliens suddenly fled after declaring Earth's destruction, but footage has come in of what looks like a group of monsters fighting these reptilian menaces! The question is, are they fighting to protect us, or just fighting for their territory?"_

While the footage of the different creatures fighting each other aired, the figure watching the broadcast casually uncorked a bottle of wine and poured herself a generous glass. Her fingernails clacked on the surface of the end table next to her, trying to cure her boredom. She didn't know why she changed to a news broadcast coming from New York; the matters of 'normal' people didn't enthuse her. However, she almost spat out her wine when she caught sight of a brunette hovering over one of the injured creatures. But she quickly regained her composure and took a calm sip from her drink.

"…The little boy's former guardian." She murmured, her voice carrying a heavy English accent. "So, she's now palling around with monsters. Strange…that one resembles the creature Heat described two years ago."

Someone came up beside the woman; a young man with slicked-back hair straightening the cuffs on his shirt. "The people there are going mad over these aliens." He spoke with a slight French accent. "It won't be long before they all become stupid with fear. They'll just end up destroying each other."

"Maybe so." The woman mused, finishing off her wine and turning off the television. "Sang…we're taking a little trip to New York City."

The young man's eyes widened, and he pulled away from his sleeve cuff. "Êtes-vous sûr, Farrah?"

"I am sure. We should pay our dear little girl a surprise visit." The woman, Farrah, stared down at her pristine silver fingernails and flashed a cold smirk. "Let us also goad the real monsters into destroying each other…one, by one, by one."

* * *

Fugitoid spent the past few hours fretting and fidgeting over the fate of those fighting to protect him. No phone calls came his way after his conversation with Donatello, and he shook the TV so much during the live news feed that it shorted out. As a result, he found himself in the dark over what possibly happened. What if Mozar and his troops captured them? Imprisoned them aboard the mothership? Or worse…what if they _killed_ them? They could be dead, and it was all his fault. He should've just told them where to find the Black Hole Generator, but the less they knew now, the better.

As the android paced inside the lab, he picked up a noise that could only be hurried footsteps. He bolted out of the lab and went to see who could be entering the lair, and found everyone entering one-by-one through the turnstiles. "My friends, you're all right! This must mean you defeated the Triceratons and stopped the bomb!" His cheer disappeared when he noticed the solemn faces of the mutants and humans. "…What's wrong? What happened on the surface?"

The answer hit him square in the metal face when he witnessed Slash carrying in the injured Donatello. Whatever was the equivalent of his heart sank at the genius turtle groaning and crying out in agony. He recognized the injury; only a Triceraton war blade would've done that. "D-Donatello! Oh my goodness, who did this to him!?"

"…Mozar." Leo answered bitterly, not looking at the android. "He's not a problem anymore."

Fugitoid's fiber-optic eyes changed to express his shock. In all his years, Mozar was virtually unbeatable, so hearing that would've knocked him off his fee if he were still a humanoid. "Did you…"

"No…Cheyloe did." The blue-masked turtle turned to see the brunette hanging in the background, staring pitifully at Donnie writing in the giant turtle's arms. "Cheyloe, help us get him patched up. We need to clean his wound right away."

No answer. As the genius turtle groaned more on the way to the lab, Cheyloe's expression shattered, and she fought to keep herself from crying for him. The pain-filled groans, combined with the brunette not heeding his command, finally wore on Leo's nerves and he spat out, "Cheyloe, don't just stand there! Help him!"

Chey jumped, and forced herself to head into the lab so she could get Donnie bandaged up and sedated; he would be needing a nice dose of morphine just to sleep. If he didn't have some stored in his lab, then she would have to sneak some from the hospital…unless she decided to come clean to Dr. Yeoh. But as she saw Donnie crying out from being jolted on the lab table, she dropped the first aid kit she picked up and broke down. Just listening to him be in such pain proved too much for her to handle. The others noticed this, and April went on to get the purple-masked turtle bandaged while she knelt on the floor uttering low wails.

This was all her fault.

Donnie was in agony because of her.

She was too dangerous to be near anyone.

She was a coward.

Donnie would be safer…if she was no longer around.

* * *

 **Pretty intense still, eh? Well, at least we know Donnie's alive, though he won't be fighting for a while. I will warn you that Chey's going to be acting in a way that you guys might want to slap her over, but this last little bit gives a clue as to why. Now that the citizens of New York are fully aware of aliens and mutants, what will be the fate of our heroes? And what does this Farrah woman have to do with Chey? What are Shredder's new plans to get Karai back and hurt her family? Well, stay tuned and find out!**


	37. How a War Begins

**Author's Note: Surprised I'm cranking out chapters this quick? Well, I've just had the ideas flowing and I can't stop typing. Well, I have to so I can go to work! Anyway, it's the aftermath of the Triceraton invasion, and things aren't looking good for New York. Donnie's still recovering, and some of the characters are beginning down dark paths. Who they are, I won't spoil. The question is, will they get back on the right path? And what is the status of our new baddies? Well, read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 37: How a War Begins

It didn't already seem like ten days since the Triceraton invasion, and what a long ten days they were. That didn't mean things calmed down on the surface; it was far from what was considered calm. They kept an eye on the news reports, all of them going on about people protesting over the 'aliens' and 'monsters'. Some of these lunatics even made crude dummies on sticks with spray-painted signs that read 'Mr. Mutant', or grey alien mannequins with knives and glass bottles plunged into them. The mayor of New York City tried his best to keep the rioting down, but his hands were tied. Even the police force proved useless against the many citizens of New York.

There were the few college-aged kids and other members of the opposition holding up a few signs, some saying 'We Heart Mutants' while others read 'Mutants and Aliens Have Rights 2'. Alas, even they were powerless against the majority. Not many people would leave their homes, fearing either more aliens or mutants or fearing the rioters. Schools were closed, and some businesses locked their doors until things simmered down…IF they simmered down.

Leonardo stared at the television broadcasting the latest riot coverage with contempt, fingers interlaced under his chin and gaze steely. He ignored Raphael brutally pummeling the practice dummy behind him and Splinter sitting quietly with a cup of tea. Right now, he wasn't in the mood for any sort of conversation; he focused his bitter mood on the stupidity of the people above. They saved them from being destroyed from a Triceraton bomb and Black Hole Generator, and THIS was the thanks they got for it? None of them even cared that his own brother almost paid the price for it.

Meanwhile, in Donatello's room, April adjusted the bag of saline hanging from the IV rack, checking the bag and tubing for any bubbles, before her gaze went to the turtle in question. Michelangelo stayed in the room with her in case Donnie needed food or water at that moment. He slept peacefully now…only because he was given an ample dose of morphine. He lay slightly propped up, as lying flat on his shell would stretch his wounds, and bandages enveloped his shoulder, plastron and thigh. The redhead pulled the covers up to the genius turtle's chin and let out a quiet sigh.

"There…he'll have enough fluids, and he'll be knocked out for a while." She concluded wearily. "It would've been easier if Cheyloe'd been here to help."

"Yeah…" Mikey murmured, glancing at the door. "Why hasn't she come? She hasn't been back since she brought the medicine and stuff over."

April closed her eyes and massaged her temples. "…I don't know, Mikey. Donnie's been asking for her every night, wondering why she won't even call." She grabbed her backpack and headed for the door. "I'd better get home before Dad calls the police. First thing tomorrow…I'm going to the hospital and getting answers from her."

Mikey stood from his chair and questioned, "Is the hospital staff gonna let you?"

"I'll find a way around it, Mikey. Whether or not she wants to hear it, she's going to stop avoiding us." April stopped to give Donnie a saddened glance. "…She's going to stop ignoring Donnie."

Leo was the first to notice April heading for the turnstiles, prompting him to turn in her direction and ask, "Is he asleep?"

April only nodded. "He'll be out for a while. Just call me if anything comes up." She reached the turnstiles and added, "I'm going to talk to her tomorrow."

That only made Leo narrow his eyes. "Why bother? If she actually cared, she would've been here every day. She only shows up ONE time, and that's it."

"I'm with Leo." Raph grumbled, ceasing his punches. "Why's she doin' this ta Donnie? He's been beggin' for 'er every night!"

"I think there's more to it." April argued. "Did you see her face when he got hurt? Did you hear her say that it 'happened again'? I have a feeling I know what it all boils down to…but I want to find it out for myself. Goodnight, guys…"

The redhead left the sewer lair, leaving Leo and Raph both to stew in their anger at the situation and at Cheyloe.

* * *

"What's up with Doggett? She's looked frazzled all week."

"Yeah, I actually miss that annoying cheer of hers."

"Maybe it's the riots. Who wouldn't be stressed out about 'em?"

Cheyloe walked through the hall of the intensive care unit, hugging the clipboard of patient information tightly to her chest and keeping her head down. Compared to how she usually was on the job, always beaming and happily greeting even the most irritable patients, she now presented herself as quiet, depressed, a shell of herself. Heck, she couldn't even fake being happy anymore. The other nurses wouldn't stop staring and whispering about it, and she wanted to tell them to leave her alone. Of course, she couldn't tell anyone why she felt this way, but she didn't want to confront the problem causing her mood.

She couldn't go to the lair…it would just make things worse. It would just do more harm than good.

"Cheyloe!" One of the older nurses called from the station, holding out the phone from behind the desk. "It's your roommate!"

The brunette hurriedly walked to the station and took the phone from her superior, clearing her throat. "H-Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." The voice belonging to Anna spoke. "I've left my shift early. Are you working late again?"

"T-They're keeping me over to treat anyone injured in the riots." Chey replied, feeling slightly calmer at talking to her friend. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

She could hear her friend give a hum of acknowledgement, but she should've prepared herself for what she asked next. "You still sound stressed out…why don't you go to the lair after work and check on-"

"Anna, please…don't." The brunette begged quietly, careful not to draw the attention of the other nurses. "I can't…I can't go back there."

"Cheyloe, you can't keep ignoring what's going on." Anna argued. "You can't keep ignoring Donatello. April told me that he's been wondering where you are. Can't you just see him and tell him why? You owe him that much. Not facing this is only going to make things worse!"

Chey shook her head. "If I go there and just be near him, it'll get worse!" Calming down, she finally muttered, "I really need to get back to work, Anna…I'll see you tonight."

She hung up the phone right as her friend tried to offer more protest; she wasn't in the mood to hear the hard truth. She'd preferred to get yelled at by her superiors or even Dr. Yeoh than be told to go to the lair. If Donnie didn't understand now, he would later…he had to. He had to understand how dangerous she was to be around. She had to get back to work, but she honestly wanted to find an isolated corner of the hospital and cry her eyes out, both over her all-consuming guilt and what happened to Donatello.

 _I'm just doing this to protect him._ One side of her debated.

 _He got hurt before you met him. You're just punishing him for your own self-pity. Get a grip._ Another side argued.

Both sides debated the rest of the night, and she tried in vain to ignore the thoughts shouting in her head.

* * *

"Dad? I'm home!"

April sat her backpack down by the door and found the apartment quiet. Weird, her dad was usually home from work by now; maybe for once she beat him to the punch. With a tired shrug, she decided to go grab an apple or bag of chips from the kitchen and figure out exactly how she would approach Cheyloe tomorrow. If she had to, she would drag her by the hand all the way to the lair and lock her in the room with Donnie, just to get her to talk. When she entered the kitchen, she jumped when she saw her father quietly chopping up some vegetables for a late dinner.

"Dad? You scared me!" The redhead breathed out. "Why didn't you answer when I came in?"

"…You were at the lair again, weren't you?" Kirby asked in a monotone voice, not looking up from the carrots and peppers. "You've been staying over there more than usual. You know, instead of looking around for colleges to attend."

"Well, that's to be expected when Donnie needs bandages changed and pain medication. I figured you knew that."

April knew that ever since Mozar publicly announced that the Triceratons would destroy Earth, her dad acted even more paranoid than usual. He wasn't this bad since before he mutated into a bat, because now he actually became…scary. He was cordial with the Turtles before, but now he looked angry every time they were mentioned. He didn't blame them for the invasion, did he? The only ones he should've been angry with were the Kraang and Triceratons. Instead, he associated her friends with all the trouble they experienced for almost three years.

"April." Kirby began, sitting down his knife and staring at the kitchen counter. "I don't want you going to the lair anymore. You'll be much safer with me."

April's eyes widened. "Dad…what's gotten into you? After all they've done for us, you want me to just abandon them? That invasion was in no way their fault, and you know that!"

"They're too dangerous, April! You're always in danger because of them!" The man argued, his voice strained. "They're always at the scene of all the dangerous things happening, including that invasion! I'm not going to lose you like I lost your mother! Why isn't Casey enough!?"

"You just want to blame them because it's easy to!" April spat back, fists tightened. "I'm not going to stand by and let you keep me trapped in a bubble just because you're so paranoid! I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and I'm not going to stop seeing my FRIENDS!"

April instantly bolted for her room, ignoring her father's demand to come back and talk to him. She made sure to lock the door so he wouldn't come in and berate her for her rebellion; she didn't want to hear any more of his bull. Why did he want to blame the guys for all this; they saved the world, and he didn't even appreciate it! Ever since her mom disappeared, her dad became nothing more than a paranoid mess threatening to crack any minute…and now, he started to shatter. If her mom were here, she would sort him out…and just now, her dad sounded like the Mom-Thing chastising her for hanging around 'freaks'. She hoped Casey wasn't experiencing the same thing with his dad right about now.

She would still go along with her plan…and not even the man she called Father would stop her.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"Sensei, it's pretty late for training. Why did you call us in here?"

Splinter stood before the kneeling Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Karai, stroking his beard in deep thought as he stared at the shelf of his precious mementos. Donatello remained in his room, hopefully still slumbering, and he didn't ignore the recent change in the mood of the lair. While Karai and Mikey didn't show obvious changes, the same couldn't be said for Leo and Raph. In repeating the words of his youngest son, Leonardo 'morphed' into another RaphaelThey were right to be angry, but the rat knew their anger was grossly misdirected at not just the people above, but each other.

"My children…Donatello's injury and the recent riots have impacted us all." Splinter began, arms crossed behind his back. "However, the mood in our home has grown darker as a result. Do remember that while your brother is in pain and unable to battle, he is still alive. Do not direct your anger towards the people above or Cheyloe. And do not take your anger out on each other when you choose not to deal with it."

Leo was the first to protest, which was unusual of him. "Sensei, how can we NOT be angry at them!? The people blame us for the invasion, and Cheyloe's punishing Donnie for no reason! He told her that he loves her, for crying out loud! Why should we let it slide after she ABANDONED him!?"

"She's got her reasons, bro!" Mikey argued, sky-blue eyes narrowed at his eldest brother. "And the people up there are just scared and don't know what to do! Sensei's right, we can't be angry at them!"

"Shut up, Mikey!" Raph roared, slamming his fist on the carpet. "We SHOULD be angry with 'em! The people up there are too stupid to blame the Kraang and the Triceratons! We're the scapegoats! And if Cheyloe doesn't have the guts to even come SEE Donnie after all that, then-"

"Well it's not like you and Leo are trying to help him!" Karai hissed, having enough of the brooding her brothers displayed. "The rest of us are actually trying to help him recover while you two just want to sit around and sulk! If you'd actually pick up the slack, maybe we wouldn't have this issue!"

As the four got into a heated argument over their current situation, their father finally had enough and silenced them with the slam of his cane. "YAME!" He paused when his children stopped their bickering and hesitantly turned to him. "That is enough from all of you! If you allow this tension to break you apart, then none of you will be of any help to Donatello! In order for your brother to heal, he needs a united family!" The anger in his voice changed to pain as he strained out, "Do I make myself clear?"

Before any of them could answer, the five heard a noise coming from the bedroom hallway. No one was supposed to be in the hallway, not unless a certain someone escaped from their bedroom again. They immediately rushed out of the dojo and hurried to the hallway, only to find their suspicion dreadfully confirmed.

There, against the wall, leaned Donatello. The genius turtle rested his head and free arm against the cool stone, while his other arm wrapped around his bandaged plastron. Enveloping his body was one of Splinter's spare hakamas, for the sake of keeping him warm due to the blood loss. Leo let out a low curse when he noticed Donnie pulled out the IV needle again; it wasn't like his brother to be so reckless. But what made him even more upset was that he knew why his brother came out of his room despite his pain. He was searching for HER.

"Donatello, you know better than to leave your room!" Splinter scolded, diving in when his son's knees buckled and catching him. His ears drooped when the turtle let out a yelp of pain. "And you pulled out your IV! My son, this is unlike you…"

"I-I'm sorry…" Donnie panted, gritting his teeth as he was pulled to his feet. "I…I can't rest. H-Have to w-work in the lab…c-cure Karai a-and Timothy." When Mikey's hand pressed against his bandages, he screamed and sunk against his father. "W-Where's Cheyloe? Why…why won't she come? Sensei, i-it hurts!"

"It is the morphine wearing off, my son." Splinter soothed, gently holding Donatello and walking him back to bed. He heard Leonardo curse again, but he would reprimand him later. "Let us also reinsert your IV and keep you hydrated…do not pull it out again, Donatello."

While Mikey, Karai, and even Leo stared into the room to view their brother remain in pain, they failed to see Raph storm off in the direction of the sewer tunnels. They didn't even see that he tried his best not to shed any tears.

* * *

Jack Kurtzman never took a break from his work, whether it be digging up information or directing the Mighty Mutanimals.

The growing riots across New York gave him even more work, and he didn't have to be an investigative journalist to know they all started with that attempted invasion. All of it just boiled down to people hurriedly associating the mutants with the aliens, both Kraang and Triceraton. True, the Kraang created many mutants, but most of them in New York were just as much victims as the humans were. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when they were mutated. Thus, he'd do them justice by finding a way to dispel these riots.

That's what led him to infiltrate a conference the mayor of New York was having to discuss their options.

He could see the chief of police, the police commissioner, the city council members, district attorney, and the mayor himself murmuring and griping about what could possibly be done. If he had the abilities Rockwell possessed, he would be able to know what they were thinking and use that info. But he would just have to rely on his own logic and attention to detail to find the answers he needed. The moment the mayor opened his mouth, he got out his recorder and pressed the red button.

"Settle down, everyone, please!" The mayor pleaded, already having sweat beading his balding forehead. "As you all know, since the invasion by those dinosaur aliens, things have been very tense in our city. Everything's centering on the aliens and the creatures lurking the streets at night, and it's caused the citizens to act out of paranoia! Most are just using the panic as an excuse to loot and other sorts of property damage!" Taking a rag and dabbing his forehead, he continued, "Unless we're united in coming up with a solution to calm everyone, things will only get worse here!"

"Mr. Mayor, are those creatures that fought the aliens really a problem?" A council member piped up. "If they were intent on doing us harm, why would they fight so hard to save us?"

"Maybe they just wanted to preserve their turf." The police commissioner interjected. "It's no different from the gangs stalking the streets!"

"Or it could be that not all of these creatures are bad! The people are just jumping to conclusions because they're so scared out of their minds; they'd be more than happy to find a scapegoat for all the problems!"

"You act like you feel sorry for them! Would you be saying that if one of them broke into your home and tried to devour you!?"

That started a shouting match, one that would eat up most of Kurtzman's recorder tape. One side argued in favor of leaving the mutants alone and educating the public about judging them, another in favor of rounding them up one-by-one and interrogating them. Despite what the mayor wanted, the people remained divided on the issue, and it would be a matter of time before the city collapsed from within. Just when he was about to press the Stop button on the recorder and give up, a whistle caught his and the other attendees' attention. The crowd began parting like the Red Sea, and the reporter caught a glimpse of why.

From the crowd came an elegantly-dressed woman, appearing in her early-to-mid thirties, approaching the now-stunned mayor and council. Her wavy, cinnamon-colored hair swayed with her steps, and he could see her well-taken-care-of silver fingernails. Right behind her, practically attached at the hip, was a young man with slicked-back honey-colored hair. The woman radiated an air of confidence…but something didn't sit well with Kurtzman; he got bad vibes from them, as his grandkids would say. The woman stopped in front of the mayor and, with a warm smile, offered her hand.

"Allow me to introduce myself." She greeted with a heavy English accent. "I am Farrah Rosenberg. This is my assistant, Luc Sauveterre." As she shook hands with the mayor, she suddenly chortled, "Oh dear…it seems like you've gotten quite a fiasco on your hands. I do hate to see a council divided."

"Divided is an understatement, Ms. Rosenberg." The mayor admitted, confused and impressed by the woman's boldness. "Forgive us for the shouting match…I'm sure you saw the broadcast from that alien ship. They're gone, but we're still experiencing fear and paranoia."

Farrah nodded firmly. "It would be hard not to be frightened, Mr. Mayor. Receiving threats from otherworldly beings would cause panic, even with their defeat. The appearance of these other creatures certainly doesn't put matters to rest, does it?"

The mayor found himself even more impressed by the display of charisma and sympathy. "You sound like you have a suggestion for the problem. What exactly do you have in mind, Ms. Rosenberg?"

"Mr. Mayor, if it is favorable with you and the council…why not allow me to address the public? I'm experienced in this sort of business, and it wouldn't hurt to have a different set of eyes looking into the matter." Farrah smiled again as her grey eyes glistened with charm. "I've settled disputes like this in my home of Yorkshire…this will be no challenge. That is, if you are willing to let me. It pains me to see such a beautiful city such as this one in turmoil, turning into a brother-against-brother conflict…I've seen far too many."

"I'll admit, Ms. Rosenberg…we're desperate for any solution." The mayor confessed, causing Kurtzman's eyes to widen in the background. "If you can help us to begin finding some sort of answer, we're welcome to it. What does the council say?"

The council members murmured amongst each other, and Kurtzman could immediately tell they were swayed by the woman's personality alone. Heck, even he admittedly felt uplifted by the compassion she displayed for New York…so why wouldn't this dark feeling go away? The young man next to her didn't seem too warm compared to her, but perhaps he felt the paranoia the rest of the citizens exhibited. Finally, the council stopped conversing and came to a decision.

"Let's allow her to speak tomorrow." The council member in favor of leaving mutants alone suggested. "As you said Mr. Mayor, we're practically desperate for answers, and we'll take any suggestion if it leads to peace."

The attendees clapped, showing their full support for the plan…all of them clapped except for Kurtzman. He finally pressed the Stop button on his recorder and began separating himself from the crowd. Something didn't bite with him…usually those who step in and offer a solution for total peace bring destruction in their wake. As of now, he would be finding out everything he could on Farrah Rosenberg and Luc Sauveterre.

Perhaps it would be wise to let the Turtles and the Mighty Mutanimals know of this development.

* * *

 **Well, what does Miss Farrah have planned for New York? I'll let you all wait and see on that one. Now before you go at me and say that Cheyloe and Kirby are acting out of character, allow me to explain. Cheyloe's been traumatized by what happened to Embry, and Donnie's near-death experience gave her the belief that he would get hurt even more just by being around her. Thus, in her mind, she thinks she's keeping him safe by not being around; she doesn't understand that it's hurting Donnie more than helping. As for Kirby, you've got to understand: this guy's been kidnapped by aliens, mutated twice, and now he had to fear the world being destroyed. What did he see as the common denominator in all instances? The Turtles. Combing paranoia from losing his wife with having so many bad things happen was bound to have him snap. So he's developing the 'protect my child at all costs' mentality, but it may just end up fracturing his relationship with April and even the Turtles.**

 **Not going to give anything away, though! Next up, will Cheyloe come to her senses and go back to the lair with help from a certain redhead? The Shredder is also getting ready to make his move, and one of the Turtles' allies ends up a casualty. Who is it? Well, stay tuned, and you'll find out!**


	38. What's Your Excuse?

**Author's Note: Well, hello again, everyone! A new chapter is up! At long last, we have the confrontation taking place between April and Cheyloe, and our favorite redhead is going to get a thing or two across to our brunette over her recent behavior. Meanwhile, Farrah Rosenberg makes a passionate speech to the people of New York City, but will this speech ease tensions, or just worsen them to the point of no return? Will this hamper Donatello's recovery? Will his family stay strong? It will be revealed in this chapter. Read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 38: What's Your Excuse?

"Cheyloe, may I speak with you?"

Cheyloe glanced up from her seat at the nurse station computer and saw Dr. Yeoh staring down at her. It wasn't unusual for the doctor to want to speak with her; most of the time she wanted to share casual conversation. The way Dr. Yeoh stared at her, however, told her this wouldn't be a casual conversation.

"Is something wrong, Dr. Yeoh?" The brunette asked hesitantly.

The older woman sighed and sat down her clipboard, peeling her glasses off her face and locking her expression into 'serious mode'. "Cheyloe…what's wrong? You've been acting the opposite of your usual self ever since the alien invasion happened. The other nurses have told me about your shift in mood."

Despite her respect for the doctor, Cheyloe found herself bitterly responding, "I think the other nurses should just pay attention to their own business, and stay out of mine. It's nothing, really."

"I don't believe that for a moment, Cheyloe." Dr. Yeoh reprimanded, eyes narrowing at her fellow coworker's souring attitude. "Whatever is bothering you, you can share it with me or go to Nicholas in Human Resources. Normally, I would let it drop because your performance is still good…but I don't like seeing one of my nurses upset and trying to hide why." Leaning in closer, her face morphed from stony seriousness to warm concern. "…Did something happen to one of your friends in this invasion?"

Chey paled at the question. How would she answer that without saying, 'my mutant friend died for a few minutes and now has a gaping wound in his plastron'? True, Dr. Yeoh saw aliens, but what would she do if she found out a nurse of hers associated herself with mutants? Well…maybe she could trust her with this sacred information and just get it out and be done with it.

"Dr. Yeoh, um, I-I guess you could say something happened. You see…"

All she had to do was tell the truth, and everything would be okay. As Chey opened her mouth to add the rest, she stopped when she heard an all-too-familiar voice talking to one of the other nurses near the elevator. Oh no…what was SHE doing here? The brunette turned her head, and her suspicion was confirmed when she saw April O'Neil. The redheaded young woman saw the other nurse point towards the station, and she immediately locked eyes with her absent friend. Chey immediately hid her face behind the computer monitor, but that didn't fool April in the least; she still made her way over there.

"Cheyloe, stop hiding behind that computer and look at me." April commanded, not noticing Dr. Yeoh. "We need to have a talk."

"Cheyloe? Is this a friend of yours?" Margaret asked, staring at the redhead. "Who are you and how can I help you?"

April suddenly noticed the doctor, and plastered on a smile. "I'm her friend…I just need to have an urgent talk with her. I'm sure it won't take long, ma'am. May I borrow her for a bit?"

 _Please say no, please say no._

"Well, she's on desk duty right now…but I suppose I can take over for her for a few moments until you're done." Dr. Yeoh pondered. While she normally wouldn't allow this all of a sudden, a part of her believed that maybe this had something to do with Cheyloe's recent behavior. Maybe this friend of hers could help her better than she could attempt. "Go on, Cheyloe. Just be sure to be back."

"Huh?" Cheyloe gaped. "B-But Dr. Yeoh…"

Her protests stopped when April grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to the elevator. The redhead figured that if they were going to talk about Donatello, they would have to do it somewhere considered private. And what better place than the oh-so-familiar rooftops? Their territory. And if it came down to it, she wouldn't mind exchanging a few blows with her. Whatever it took to drill this into that thick skull of hers.

* * *

"All right, we're up here, April. Whatever you're going to say, just say it."

April remained unmoved by Cheyloe's bitter attitude. The approaching autumn cold and high altitude of the hospital rooftop didn't make the atmosphere better, but she didn't care. It was time for her friend to stop acting like a whiny baby and give an explanation for her sudden absence. Not for her own sake, but for Donnie's. "You can drop the attitude, Chey. You know why we're talking. Give me one good reason why you think it's okay to just pretend that Donnie all of a sudden doesn't exist."

The brunette snorted, glancing away and crossing her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just busy with a little something called a job."

"That's a lie, and you know it." April retorted. "Even with work, the Cheyloe I know would pay Donnie a visit and see how he's doing, treat his wound, give him and his family encouragement. You've turned into some angry, self-pitying stranger who thinks she can just run away from her problems!"

Chey gritted her teeth. "I'm not running away from anything. Why should I even taking any of this, huh? You abandoned the Turtles before, so why are you going after me all of a sudden?"

April already got tired of Chey being in denial. She was getting nowhere fast, and that doctor would expect her back soon. What was she going to do now? Maybe she should've called Casey so the two could double-team on her. Breathing out a sigh, she decided to go for the last result: hitting her where it hurt the most.

"Cheyloe…I know now why you're doing this. I saw you when Donnie was down on the ground, bleeding out. I heard you when you tried to resuscitate him." Immediately, she saw the brunette's expression begin to crumble. "You acted like that, and you're acting like this now because it reminds you of what happened to Embry. I know the story…Donnie told it to me, just like Anna told it to him. Donnie got hurt just like him, and you can't stand that, so you're running away thinking that you're protecting him."

That's when the dam burst and everything came flooding out of the brunette in a fit. "That's right! I fooled myself into believing that history wouldn't repeat itself, and LOOK what happened! Donnie stepped in and took that blow for me, just like Embry! But neither of them would've had to do that if I wasn't too scared and too stupid to move a muscle!" Her lips quivered angrily, and she settled for crossing her arms and biting on her lip. "If that happens again and again…what do I even have to live for?"

 _SLAP_

She didn't expect to have an open palm slap her cheek and make her flinch. Cheyloe looked up and saw April wearing a steely gaze and shaking the stinging sensation out of her hand. April slapped her…just like she herself slapped Karai after the attack on Murakami-san. She only stood silently and cupped her throbbing cheek, prepared to say something until April beat her to it.

"Just to be clear, I'm not sorry I did that. Don't you even SAY something like that again!" April spat, cerulean eyes narrowed at Chey's stupid behavior. "Did you force Embry to stand in front of you? Did you ask Donnie to step in front of you? No, you didn't! They chose to take those blows because that's how much they care about you! The big difference is that Donnie survived, thanks to you! He's in pain, but he's alive. The only thing you're doing by not coming around him is punishing him for that!"

Chey's eyes widened. "I-I'm not punishing him for saving me! I'm doing this because he's not safe around me!"

"…That's the stupidest thing I ever heard." The redhead snorted. "He got hurt plenty of times before he even knew you existed. I should tell you about the time we first met Dr. Rockwell! You think you're doing him a favor by making him think you don't care about him anymore!? You think you're doing his family a favor by letting him suffer!?"

That got Cheyloe's attention, and April could see the 'my God, what have I done' look on her face. Good…it's working. Now much calmer, the redhead went on to say, "As soon as you're done with work, we're going to the lair. No backing out, no excuses, got it?" As April went to the stairwell door, she turned to the brunette and quietly added, "…He's been dragging himself out of bed just to try and find you…pay him a visit so he'll stop hampering his recovery."

April left the rooftop, leaving Cheyloe still cupping her reddened cheek and absorbing her words. If she even dared to chicken out, she'd steal some of Master Splinter's homemade sedative and slip it into her drink. It would be a last resort, of course. Maybe she'd be brave enough to take the offer. But first, she would have to explain to Dr. Yeoh why she had a red hand print on her cheek.

* * *

Why did this have to be so hard? It was something she had to do, but it felt like she had to go there while carrying a giant boulder on her shoulders. Even with April telling her things would work out, why did this make her so scared?

To the redhead's relief, Cheyloe showed up to greet her right after her shift and go to the sewer lair. Granted, she was more than apprehensive over what would go down, but better to go and face this than keep running away, right? Well, she still wanted to run and get as far away from the problem as possible…but running from the problem never makes it disappear. It would just keep coming after her, festering inside her, until she lost all control. More importantly, though, she didn't want Donnie to think she no longer cared about him or was even remotely punishing him for her own stupidity. She already figured his brothers wouldn't be too happy to see her, but who could blame them?

Upon passing through the turnstiles, April and Cheyloe found Raphael and Michelangelo watching an episode of some old show called "Chris Bradford's 2 Ruff Krew". Both couldn't believe they'd associate with anything relating to the former martial arts champion, with his allegiance to the Foot Clan and all. Well, it wasn't Space Heroes. When the channel broke for commercial, the red-masked turtle happened to turn his head towards the entrance and froze when he laid eyes on the brunette. Mikey also saw her, though his reaction proved quite different.

"Chey!" The orange-masked turtle leapt from his seat and wrapped her in a hug. "Where've you been!? It's about time you came back!"

Raph only snorted and narrowed his eyes. "Well…look who decided ta waltz in after not showin' up for _eleven_ days."

Cheyloe grimaced at Raph's harsh words, but didn't protest them. She wriggled out of Mikey's hold and simply kept her head down to avoid any conflict. April crossed her arms and gave the temperamental turtle a stony gaze. "Raph, don't start. Whether you like it or not, she's going to see Donnie. Where's Leo?"

"He's in Donnie's room, tryin' ta give 'im some mutagen medicine." Raph mused, jerking his thumb in the direction of Donnie's bedroom. "Good luck gettin' past him, 'cause he isn't in the mood ta see ya. Neither am I."

Despite his sour attitude, Cheyloe continued on to see the genius turtle, looking behind her to see if April would follow. Instead, the redhead shook her head and took a seat next to Raph; she wouldn't be holding her hand through all this. She was a big girl, and it was time for her to act like it. Gulping, the brunette went on to the hallway and clasped her hand over the doorknob. Before she turned it, she leaned her head towards the door and heard a heated conversation inside.

"Donnie, quit being difficult! Just take the medicine!" Leo's voice commanded, and he clearly sounded exasperated. "Fugitoid improved on it, so you won't get sick!"

"M-Maybe if you'd stop trying to shove it down my throat!" Donnie argued in a strained tone. "You don't exactly have the proper bedside manner, Leo! The Hippocratic Oath would deem you downright abusive!"

The two kept on arguing, and Cheyloe decided that was enough. She halted their bickering by knocking on the door, and she could hear someone get up and answer it. Once the door opened, that someone turned out to be Leo, and he gasped the moment he took notice of her. His shock quickly turned to anger when she just stood frozen like a statue, and he blocked Donnie from seeing any sight of her by closing the door behind him.

"…What are you doing here, Cheyloe?" The lead turtle asked plainly.

"Leo…" The brunette began, nervously trying to find her words. "Look, I screwed up. I got so consumed by my own mess that I let Donnie pay for it. At least let me see him so I can make it up to him."

Leo didn't budge. "Donnie's been without several nights of sleep because of his pain, he's been trying to escape his bed just to look for your sorry butt, and NOW is when you decide to show up? You decide NOW to actually care about him!?"

"Leo, LISTEN." Chey hissed, losing her temper. "Be mad at me all you want, I don't care! But you're not stopping me from speaking to Donatello. I don't care that you're his brother; you couldn't stop me with an army. I hurt him, and I want to make things right…not for my sake, but Donnie's. Now let me see him…please."

The blue-masked turtle huffed a sigh, but finally relented and stepped aside. He wasn't any less mad at her, but he knew she was telling the truth. The brunette gave a nod of thanks and stepped up to the door, taking a deep breath before knocking on it twice and opening the door.

"Leo, I'm NOT letting you give me that-"

Donatello stopped his rant early when he noticed the person at the door wasn't Leonardo…it was Cheyloe. His eyes went wide as dinner plates when he locked eyes with the worn-looking nurse, and he couldn't help it when his breaths became ragged. When she closed the door behind her, Cheyloe saw a variety of things that made her heart sink: bloodied bandages in a nearby wastebasket, a glass bottle filled with a mutagen-like substance sitting next to a spoon, the IV rack she helped set up that dreadful night, gauze galore, and the now-irritated Donatello. A part of her wanted to bolt out of the room and stay a coward, but she had to do this.

"H-Hey, Donnie." She greeted meekly. "Um…how've you been?

Clearly, he wasn't amused by her weak attitude, and he didn't like her choice of question. But he was more than happy to answer that for her. "How've I been?" He asked, his tone a little too chipper. "Well, let's see…I've been confined to bed for going on two weeks, I've been in agonizing pain and ran out of morphine last Tuesday, and I've had to sit around with bandages covering up a gaping wound in my plastron! How do you think I've been, especially when you decide to show up NOW?"

The brunette shrunk at his words, and spoke up to try and defend herself. "Donnie, I'm sorry I haven't come! That night just scared me so much, and I just ran off hoping it would all not be real! I just…"

Donnie was far from done, however, and he cut her off quick. "So you were hoping me coming back from the brink of death and telling you how I felt wasn't real? You hoped that me trying to go and find you wasn't REAL!?" He could feel his chest burn from the strain of his anger, but he wouldn't stop there. "You know how you not showing and helping made me feel? I thought you were just bogged down with work at first, but the Cheyloe I know would still make time to visit and help me through this injury! You know what you made me believe instead? That you just threw me away and became like everyone else!"

"That's not true!" Cheyloe argued, hands and shoulders shaking. "I was just trying to protect you!"

"Protect me?" Donnie repeated, anger still rising, and he laughed bitterly. "You were trying to PROTECT me!? Oh, that's rich! Not showing up and attempting to ignore what's going on sure is 'protecting' me, isn't it? Well, I'm already hurt, so that's all for naught!" He slowly sat himself on the edge of the bed, not caring that Cheyloe looked ready to cry. "You left me in the hands of some very unqualified brothers, Cheyloe, and you think that's protecting me!? You can come up with something better than that, you know. Give me ONE legitimate excuse as to why you'd just leave me to suffer this wound and make me wonder why you don't even care anymore!"

"I WAS SCARED!"

At this point, her body went rigid with anger and her lips quivered violently. She hated what Donnie said, but he was only telling the truth and calling her out on her crap. If he did something like she did, she'd let him have it, too. Running her fingers through her hair, she frantically went on, "I was scared that you would end up like Embry! I was scared, no, TERRIFIED, that I would come in here only to hear the words 'Donnie died'! I had this delusion that if I stayed away from you, you'd be safe from any other bad thing that happened as a result of being near me! Instead, I just let you lay around and suffer because I wanted to run away from reality!"

Donnie sat silently and took in her words, but his irritable expression didn't change. Seeing her pant and fight to keep from collapsing into a heap also silenced him for a moment. Finally, after letting her have her piece, he spoke again. "There's one thing you're wrong about. The big difference between me and Embry is that I survived...yet you think history's doomed to repeating itself, don't you?"

As much as she didn't want to admit it, the brunette weakly nodded and stared up at him with remorseful eyes. "…I just thought I was doing the right thing, Donnie. If I had realized sooner what it was doing to you…" Breathing out a sigh, she closed her eyes and headed for the door. "Donnie, if you want to hate me for this, you have a full right to…I deserve it. I deserve any hatred from you and your family…and I won't make things harder."

"…Chey, come over here." The genius turtle requested in a calmer voice.

"Donnie, I should-"

"Cheyloe Doggett, get over here NOW!"

Her hand sliding off the doorknob, the brunette sniffed and slowly obeyed Donnie's command, going up to him and sitting in the chair in front of him. She kept her head down, feeling she no longer had a right to even look at him, but felt a three-fingered hand lift her chin up so she could look at him.

"Look at me, Cheyloe." Donnie spoke, auburn eyes now bleary. "What you did made me mad and hurt me, but there's nothing you could do to make me have even a shred of hate for you. Don't worry about my brothers…they've just been stressed out by everything going on; they don't hate you, either." A strained chuckled came out of his mouth, making him pause. "Just quit having this feeling that you're a danger to society or something, because you're just hurting yourself and everyone else…running from real life isn't helping, either. And guess what? I said it once, and I'll say it again…I love you. Nothing's going to change that."

Everything within her crumbled. Cheyloe's lips quivered even more, and she wrapped Donnie in a hug right when the floodgates opened. She pressed her face into Donnie's shoulder and bawled as she blubbered out, "I-I'm…so s-sorry, D-Donnie! I n-never wanted to h-hurt you...t-that's the last th-thing I'd want t-to do to y-you."

Donnie winced when she hugged him too tightly. "C-Cheyloe, w-watch the plastron!"

Chey immediately let go of him, and just stared up at him with reddened eyes, wet cheeks, and a snotty nose. The genius turtle actually found himself chuckling at how messy she looked, but stopped when she averted her eyes. He didn't mind that his bandages were now coated with tears and slobber; they could be changed. All that mattered was that starting now, they could patch things up. To start that process, he made sure she was close enough before planting a kiss on her cheek, right below her eye.

"Cheyloe…there's something I need to tell you." Donnie began, now smiling slightly when he recalled his memory from the night he died for a bit. "Right before I came back, I got a message addressed to you." Seeing her confusion, he went on to say, "Embry said hi."

He was more than ready to hold Cheyloe when she started bawling into his shoulder again.

* * *

 _"…_ _the City Council has met over the past three days to discuss a solution to quell these riots. Anti-alien and anti-monster sentiment continues to grow, leaving the city divided on the issue of who the enemy is."_

Kaitlyn chugged back her bottle of Smirnoff and let out a loud, reverberating burp, leaving Anna scowling from the kitchen sink. Once again, the news played the same-old story about the anti-mutant movement in its infancy, and growing slowly. So far, Lunar Palace remained quiet on the issue, and they avoided voicing their pro-mutant stance in fear of losing their home; they weren't for sure where the landlord stood. It was a reason why they didn't move Donatello in to help with his recovery.

"Where the hell's Cheyloe?" Kaitlyn got up to grab her pack of cigarettes when she asked the question. "Her shift ended two hours ago."

"She's at the lair…April let me know." Anna replied, putting away dishes. "She needed to be there; you know that as well as I do."

"Tch, 'bout time she went back there. Her stayin' away wasn't helpin' ol' Don-Boy. I've said it before and I'm sayin' it again: I'm tired of her lookin' at everything wit' an Embry filter." Kaitlyn leaned over the counter after sauntering into the kitchen and stared out the window. "I mean, it's horrible th' kid died, but she's gotta move on. Puttin' on a show ain't gonna bring 'im back."

The ponytailed brunette sighed. "…I know, Kaitlyn."

 _"_ _The mayor has addressed the start of a possible solution, one formulated by an unexpected visitor at last night's city council meeting. We are going to you live at City Hall, where we will be addressed by the person claiming to have answers."_

Both women watched the conference, not knowing why they were suddenly interested. On the screen, the mayor of New York appeared in front of the podium and microphone, trying to ignore the constant camera flashes and dozens of cameras upon him. _"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. As you all know, the unrest in our beloved city has only increased since the attempted alien invasion. With these mysterious creatures roaming our streets at night, I can understand that all of you are scared and unsure of what to do. However, last night, I met someone who seems to know what she can do to help our city return to its former glory. Please, allow me to welcome Miss Farrah Rosenberg."_

The plate in Anna's hand slid out of her grasp and shattered against the floor, and Kaitlyn straightened up from the counter in horror. Right then, the television showed the cinnamon-haired woman stepping up to the podium, innocently tapping the microphone and clearing her throat. They knew, however, that innocent wasn't a word to describe this woman.

 _"_ _Thank you, citizens of New York."_ Farrah spoke warmly, flashing a small smile. _"First, allow me to give my condolences to those who have suffered losses during the invasion, be they loved ones or possessions. Now there is the matter of strange creatures lurking the streets of this glorious city. Allow me to give a proper name to them: mutants. Evidence presented to me points to these creatures being created by an odd substance that fell upon this city almost two years ago. Some seem sentient…and others have not been so lucky. Some of these mutants, because of this substance's advanced nature, even look just like you and I. Some appear human, but are mutants all the same."_

"Ya gettin' somethin' in that head of yers, Anna?" Kaitlyn whispered.

Anna nodded, holding her head with a pained expression. "I am…and it's not good."

 _"_ _Whether they prove to be sapient or not, do not allow these creatures to strike fear in your hearts."_ Farrah continued, her warm voice growing firm and controlled. _"Let me ask this of the mutants in this city…if you really wish to interact peacefully amongst the humans, why do you fear identifying yourselves in the open? Do you truly believe we humans will lash out? Or is it that you truly are a danger to the lives of the innocent? Hear this, denizens of New York: this is YOUR city. Do not allow mutants to run you off and claim your home for their own. Do not allow them to sway your children and other loved ones with sob stories of their plights, only for them to stab you in the back later on."_

 _"_ _Miss Rosenberg, are you saying that we should destroy the mutants?"_ A reporter inquired.

 _"_ _Please, do not put words in my mouth."_ The steely-eyed woman chastised. _"We must see what they truly desire, and if they try to do you harm, do what you need to accomplish to defend your life. You see, many of these mutants are reminiscent of the community bullies…they will use their size and strength to oppress others, and take what they desire that isn't theirs. If there is one thing I do not condone, it is bullies. Don't let these mutants bully you, citizens! Be the people New York needs you to be! I know all of you can do it…I already have great faith that you can rise up and be strong in this time of danger!"_

To their shock, the people gathered gave thunderous applause at the woman's bold speech. Anna and Kaitlyn glanced at each other, dishes and cigarettes long-forgotten, and the latter rushed to the apartment door. "Anna, ya know what I'm thinkin', right!?"

"Yes…" The ponytailed brunette numbly nodded. "The Turtles…April…Cheyloe and the two of us. We're all in danger!"

* * *

"…Quite the passionate speech from the Rosenberg woman."

Shredder had a front-row seat to the broadcast from City Hall, courtesy of a MOUSER holo-projection emitting next to his throne. His mutant lackeys stood on the sidelines watching the same broadcast, and all had mixed reactions to it. While Stockman, Bebop and Rocksteady visibly felt shaken by the not-so-subtle anti-mutant rhetoric projected by the woman, Rahzar, Fishface, and Tiger Claw remained unreadable.

"It won't be long before there's one big ol' mutant hunt all over the city!" The mutant warthog panicked. "What gives 'er the right to spread all that stuff 'bout us!?"

"Must admit, much is true of zhis info, Comrade Bebop." The rhino muttered. "Lady makes good point."

Tiger Claw turned to the armored ninja, expression unclear; his master could sense the inner turmoil he masked, however. "Master Shredder…how shall we proceed now?"

Shredder narrowed his eyes, taking another moment to glance at the cinnamon-haired woman speaking thanks to the roaring citizens falling under the spell of her speech. True, he used mutants to accomplish his goals…but if he could earn the trust of Farrah Rosenberg, and strike up a deal with her, then maybe he would have a chance at killing two birds with one stone: destroying the Hamato Clan once and for all, and reclaiming Karai as his.

"Let us set up a meeting with this Farrah Rosenberg." He unsheathed the claws in his gauntlets, causing some of his mutant servants to jump in surprise. "I will make sure she does not refuse."

* * *

 **Well, the good news is that Chey's back and she and Donnie are going to start mending things. The bad news is, they're all in danger thanks to Farrah's speech. What does Shredder have in mind in wanting to speak with her? Will the other members of the Hamato Clan be willing to forgive Chey after her absence? Then, what members of the Hamato Clan allies will end up turning on them in favor of the anti-mutant movement? You'll just have to stay tuned!**


	39. Turning Tides, Part 1

**Author's Note: I apologize for not updating recently; I got hit with writer's block and I've been into a new game I bought! Anywho, the new chapter is up! While Donatello and Cheyloe are mending things, there's still some bitterness going around with his two oldest brothers, and April is the first to be sick of it. Meanwhile, two evils meet and begin hatching a plan to bring down the Turtles and the other mutants. Can they be stopped? Will the Hamato Clan stay together in this trying time? Read and find out!**

* * *

Chapter 39: Turning Tides, Part 1

Mounds of gauze? Check. Bandages? Check. Isopropyl alcohol? Check. Antibiotic ointment? Check. A turtle in need of wound cleaning? The final item on the list, and the only one unchecked.

"Cheyloe, are you sure you're comfortable doing this yourself?" Donatello asked in concern, staring at the brunette clipping away at his bandages with surgical scissors. "I can call April or Sensei to help."

Chey gave a firm nod, gulping down a lump in her throat. "I'm sure, Donnie. Don't worry about me…let's focus on getting you better."

Clipping away the rest of the bandages and soiled gauze, Chey pulled it all away and revealed the still-gaping wound hidden beneath. While it didn't look as bad as it did that first night, the sight of it still unnerved her. She could actually see Donnie's muscle tissue; she thankfully didn't see his internal organs. The sight of muscle, fat, and broken plastron still had her on edge, and she was supposed to be a nurse prepared for anything. Her hands started shaking, and she felt the urge to vomit right there; that guilt came back full-force and without mercy.

"Chey…you can do this. I wouldn't let you if I thought you couldn't."

Donnie's words of reassurance made her nod again, and she grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a few cotton balls to begin the delicate work of cleaning the wound. The genius turtle visibly winced, hissing and squeezing his eyes shut at the burn of the alcohol on his tissues. This made the brunette immediately pull away, much to Donnie's surprise. He was about to speak when Michelangelo suddenly appeared in the room, holding a bowl of hot soup and a cup dose of the mutagenic medicine.

The freckled turtle sat the items down on his brother's desk when he noticed Cheyloe's hesitation in treating his wound. Maybe a little of the Mikey touch would help her get her bravery back; even he knew her fear stemmed from that nasty guilt in her. Now, making sure his hands were totally clean, Mikey went behind his brother, put his hands on the unbroken areas of his plastron, and pressed on them, making it look like the wound actually spoke to her.

"Stop feeling bad, Nurse Cheyloe." Mikey spoke in a raspy, high-pitched voice. "If anyone can get me all closed up, it's you! Do I have to ooze all over you to convince you? Let's take it over to my twin, Donatello, shall we?"

Both Donnie and Cheyloe stared at the orange-masked turtle in morbid fascination, but soon found themselves laughing at his poor ventriloquism. "Ouch…Mikey, that's just wrong." Donnie snickered before taking his brother's hands off his plastron. "But he's right…you can fix me up. Don't worry about the alcohol burn; that just means it's working, right?"

Chey nodded, stifling a yawn and wearing a genuine smile. "Yeah. Now, once I'm done, it's a dose of medicine for you. No spitting it out, okay?"

"Aye-aye, Nurse!" Donnie mock-saluted.

In the main area of the lair, Raphael and April sat in front of the television, trying to find a channel that wasn't about the drama in New York. So far, that proved unsuccessful. April glanced in the direction of Donnie's bedroom, but she wasn't worried; she could sense the relief emanating from behind the door. The only animosity she sensed came from the turtle beside her and the one in the dojo right now: Leo. While she didn't show it much, Karai forgave Cheyloe's actions and carried on, just like Mikey did. The two elder turtles wanted to hold on to a grudge, something that wasn't like the leader in blue at all.

"Raph." April began, switching the TV off. "Staying mad at Cheyloe won't help things around here. Mikey's forgiven her, Karai's forgiven her, Donnie's forgiven her, heck, even Master Splinter's probably forgiven her! Why can't you and Leo?"

The red-masked turtle didn't respond, staying hunched over and staring at the floor. That just frustrated April even more. "I'm serious, Raph! You can pout and pout all through the night, but unless you stop and actually try to forgive, it won't fix things."

"…I'm not _pouting_." Raph growled with narrowed eyes. "She stayed away from Donnie 'cause she wanted ta wallow in self-pity. If he actually forgave 'er, he forgave 'er too easily."

"Well, you forgave Slash pretty easily when HE hurt Donnie." The redhead retorted. "Why is Cheyloe different? If you and Leo keep holding a grudge, you know who that actually hurts? Donnie. Chey already knows she messed up and she's trying to make up for it; that's what I did after my dad mutated and I blamed you guys. Tell me, Raph: why do you pick and choose who to forgive?"

"Maybe if she actually used her brain and MOVED, Donnie wouldn't be hurt!" Raph roared, raising on his feet and glowering down at April. When she didn't flinch, he just kept on with his rant, "Ya know what happened instead? Donnie got hurt, actually DIED for about five minutes, over some GIRL! He did it so many times with YOU, and now he's done it with someone else!"

So that explained it. April knew back when Donnie had a head-over-heels crush on her that Raph attempted to dissuade him every step of the way, claiming it would never work between a human and a mutant. He kept on with that even after she found out she was half-Kraang. That's why he was so unforgiving towards Karai; not because of the kunoichi herself, but because of how she previously played Leo. He was unforgiving towards her for a time because of the anger she directed at Donnie. Now, he found himself not able to forgive Cheyloe because Donnie got hurt protecting her. He shouldn't have forgiven Slash so easily; he went after the others just to get at him. But considering he spent most of his life with Slash, maybe there was some bias.

"…Donnie wouldn't have just done it for Cheyloe." April firmly defended. "He would've thrown himself out in front of you, or me, or everyone else if it meant saving you. You would've done the same, Raph. You just hate it that he did it for a girl, don't you? Instead of realizing that Donnie made the choice to do what he did, you put the blame on Cheyloe, and not for deserting us."

"…It's not…I'm not just mad because he did it over her." Raph uncurled his arms from his chest and slumped his shoulders. For the first time in the days after the invasion, April saw him for how he really looked: defeated. He looked defeated, worn, broken…everything that wasn't Raphael. The temperamental turtle sat back down and let out a deep sigh. "Donnie shouldn't have done that…I'm the one who's supposed to get hurt protectin' others, not him. Not him, not Leo, not Mikey…I'm the one that's supposed to go down for this family. I'm the muscle…I give hits, and I take 'em, too."

April's eyes widened. "Don't say that, Raph. If you were gone, how do you think we'd feel? If anything ever happened to ANY of you…well, I don't think I could live with the fact that you died. I wouldn't know what to do…"

It was after she spoke that she found Raph leaning his head on her shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut as tears poured out. The redhead was surprised at first, but quickly placed her hand over his and stayed still. Right now, he just needed to let it all out.

"…This is all so messed up, April." Raph murmured. "I just want everything back ta normal…"

"I know, Raph. Everything'll be okay, so don't act like you have to be tough 24/7. Just promise me that you won't go looking for a way to die just to protect us, okay?"

As Raph actually managed a smile on his lips and made a move to say more, they both turned when they caught the sound of footsteps and panting. Right at the turnstiles appeared, to their surprise, Kaitlyn, who leaned over to cough and hack hoarsely as a result of her smoking habit. The dirty-blonde finished almost spitting up and straightened herself, dashing down the steps into the pit area.

"Is…is Cheyloe 'ere!?" Kaitlyn asked hurriedly.

At her voice, Chey stepped out of Donnie's room to find her friend panic-stricken. "Kaitlyn?" She clasped her shoulder and helped her remain steady. "What's the emergency?"

"Ya haven't watched the news!?" Kaitlyn asked disbelievingly. "We're in big trouble! There was a press conference at City Hall, an' now people are gonna go after mutants! But…but it's just gonna get worse!"

Right then, Donnie and Mikey stepped out of the room to see what the commotion was about. They came out right as Cheyloe asked, "What do you mean by worse? Is the Shredder behind this? If you think I'm going to be scared of some mutant-hating lunatics-"

"Ya will be when ya hear who made that speech!" Kaitlyn stared right in her face, her hazel-green eyes locking with her friend's bluish-green ones. "It was Farrah, Cheyloe. She's HERE."

The brunette's face immediately went ashen at that name, and her entire body went rigid. Donnie was the first to walk to her and shake her shoulder to try and snap her out of it, but to no avail. The entire commotion finally made Leo, Karai, and Splinter exit the dojo and see the exchange. Just seeing Kaitlyn, who hardly ever came to the lair, told them something was wrong.

"Is something wrong, Miss Leisman?" Splinter addressed softly.

Kaitlyn stared up at the rat and bit the inside of her cheek. "Splinter…things are about ta go ta Hell quick around 'ere." She suddenly dropped a duffel bag in front of the brunette, much to her surprise. "Chey, just stay down in th' lair for a few days, maybe a week. Just stay 'ere till we know what Farrah's really up to; we can't let 'er get ya!"

Cheyloe stared down at the duffel bag, which she already figured contained the necessities for a long stay away from home. But what would Anna and Kaitlyn do? Were they actually going to risk their own lives, risk getting caught by Farrah, just for the sake of keeping her safe? True, she was the youngest out of the three and the last time she encountered Farrah didn't go so well, but that didn't mean she had to hide the rest of her life, or even for a week.

"Kaitlyn, I-I can't run from her." The brunette mumbled. "I have to know, too. I want to know why she's suddenly wanting to start stuff between humans and mutants!"

"She almost killed ya last time!" Kaitlyn argued. "We ain't gonna take that risk again!"

The air grew quiet between the two young women. It would have remained that way, if Donatello hadn't hobbled forward, clutching his chest, and asking a simple question. "Cheyloe…wh-who's Farrah? What's this about people going after mutants?"

The brunette hugged her torso, and closed her eyes to steady her thoughts. Donnie and the others were familiar with the concept of superhumans, yes, but there was one other thing they needed to know: the good and evil in the group. Just like in those comics Mikey read, the villains would find a way with their words to sway the people against the good. She at least owed them info on how to handle it.

"…There's something you should know about Farrah Rosenberg."

* * *

The mass cheering of the people gathered at City Hall only made Casey angry.

He wasn't right there, of course. He sat in the living room of his apartment and saw the speech of Farrah Rosenberg from the old TV set. He wasn't alone in the room; his dad sat in his trusty arm chair, knocking back a gin and tonic, and his sister sat on the floor playing with one of her dolls. Casey admitted that he found this lady to be very influential, but once she declared herself to be against the mutants, more-or-less, that turned him off. What really turned him off, however, was how quickly people swayed to her words…it worked on them too well. It could've just been the desperation of everyone after the invasion, but still…

"This woman's got a good point." Arnold Jones, Sr. gruffly noted. "I can't tell ya how sick I am of hearin' about these monsters on the streets. Somebody's gotta do somethin' about it!"

Casey instantly shook his head, both at the broadcast and his father's words. "…I don't buy it, Pops. Everyone there's falling for that speech like a bunch 'a sheep. How do we know she's not gonna take advantage of everybody being scared, huh?"

Arnold Sr. grunted and crossed his arms. "There's people like that, but she sounds honest. I don't really care who's doin' it, I just want our streets safe again, Junior! If this lady can do somethin', then that'll be great."

"What's the matter Casey? Do you actually like mutants?" The girl teased, smirking.

"Shut up, Angel!" Casey growled. "I just think it's too much of a coincidence that this lady shows up right as things are goin' downhill in New York. Maybe it's just a hunch, but I think she's gonna stir up trouble."

The three of them went back to the TV, watching the cheering and smiling Farrah in silence. Casey couldn't believe that his dad and possibly his sister were hooked on the woman's words. He suddenly began wondering if the others heard the speech too; maybe he could go and make sure April was all right. With the Turtles, it was obvious, but if any of those lunatics figured out that April fell under the mutant radar, too, then Mr. O'Neil would be without a wife and daughter. Karai would be a target, too, even if she could shapeshift into a human.

The text tone on his phone went off, and he dug it out of his dingy pant pocket to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Raph. The only times Raph ever texted him, since he preferred face-to-face conversation, were if he needed a favor or if something bad went down at home. Right now, his money was on the latter. The hockey player pushed himself off the couch and casually headed for the door.

"'Ey, Casey, where ya goin'?" Arnold Sr. questioned. "You're not doin' that vigilante crap anymore, are ya? I already told ya no on that!"

"Dad, I'm just…" Casey hesitated as he thought of a decent cover-story. "I'm just gonna check on April. She, uh, she said her dad's been actin' weird and she just needs ta talk with someone."

The older man offered a grunt in response; that usually meant a green light for Casey. Casey found himself stalling for a moment, but promptly made his way out the door and to the lair. Usually, when on a run to the lair, the most he had to worry about were slow old women and running into Purple Dragon scum. Now, he had to worry about those AND a mass of anti-mutant crazies stalking the streets for 'prey'. If he had the opportunity to meet this Farrah Rosenberg in person, he'd promptly give her the middle finger and tell her that she was full of crap. It would probably lead to multiple beatings, but it'd be worth it. Sure enough, he bumped into a few people spouting nonsense about setting traps or raiding abandoned warehouses for the 'creatures'.

"Who does that lady think she's foolin'?" The hockey player grumbled, hands shoved in his pocket as he reached the manhole cover leading to his second home. "She sounds a lot like that guy that killed everyone with cyanide Kool-Aid. The people seriously can't be THAT stupid."

As Casey climbed down the ladder and into the sewers, he hoped that his faith in the people of NYC wouldn't be for nothing. He hoped that they would also be suspicious of the Rosenberg woman and be wary of her charismatic words.

He hoped they would actually be smart for once.

* * *

"Start from the beginning. Who is this Farrah Rosenberg?"

Before Cheyloe decided to share the precious information, all agreed that two additional heads needed to be present. Those two additional heads were Casey and Anna. The dojo was deemed a much more suitable meeting area compared to the pit, in case any ears listened in from the outside. Now with everyone gathered on the floor, the brunette heeded Splinter's command and gathered her thoughts. It was hard with many people huddled around her, and Leo giving her the 'I'm still angry' stare, but this was important and she didn't need to stall.

"First thing's first…Farrah Rosenberg is not a good person." Chey emphasized, eyes narrowed at the name. "I don't know why she's suddenly taken interest in mutants, but this whole peace charade is just that: a charade. She'll use a crisis in another country just to pit people against each other. She'd start a war if she could!"

"So, wait, she really doesn't know that much about mutants other than the classification?" April asked, leaning forward.

Anna decided to add her say. "She more than likely heard of them if they featured the invasion on the news. That's what makes it unusual to be against mutants; her hatred is for people in general."

"Why would she hate people? She's one of them!" Mikey wondered aloud.

"That's a story for another time. Right now, we'll get to the important stuff." Chey replied quietly. "As I was saying, Farrah is just putting on a show. She's extremely dangerous, and so is Sang. You don't want to mess with them."

Splinter stroked his beard, and he felt alerted by the word 'dangerous'. "Why do you say that, Cheyloe?"

The brunette stared at the carpet beneath her, took a deep breath, and revealed, "It's because…Farrah and Sang are superhumans."

The dojo became deathly quiet. The woman that had almost all of New York swayed under an anti-mutant speech, who spoke as though she were one of them, was a superhuman hiding in plain sight. Even her right-hand man was a superhuman. But that still left the million-dollar question: what was her agenda against mutants? Cheyloe insisted she didn't know, but the others couldn't help but think she hid something else about Farrah from them. It could've been attributed to shock from knowing the woman came here, but the Turtles couldn't shake the feeling off.

"That's what we're up against?" Raph gaped. "Other superhumans!? I thought we just had ta deal with you three!"

"As if." Kaitlyn snorted. "Even with superhumans, ya got good ones an' bad ones. Farrah an' Sang are the bad ones, plain an' simple, and they won't stop till they kill us all." She suddenly glanced at Chey, and everyone could see the painful look on Kaitlyn's face. "Last time we saw 'er…she put Chey in th' hospital."

Donnie's eyes widened. "She put you in the hospital? What'd she do to you!?"

Everyone watched as Cheyloe sighed, and she pulled back the collar of her scrubs to expose the skin right above her breasts. Upon closer examination, they could see what looked like scars; reminiscent of if a thin, sharp object piercing through. Judging from the trajectory, and if she had similar scars on her back, it looked like something went through her chest…and most likely through her lungs. That speculation made Donnie cringe and clench his hands until his knuckles started turning a very pale green.

"That still doesn't explain why Farrah is starting up an anti-mutant movement. And how do we stop them?" Karai interrogated.

Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn stared at each other, which followed by their eyes gluing onto Donatello. "We can't fight them right now…not while Donnie's still injured." Cheyloe asserted, not looking at anyone but the turtle in question. "If we want to take them on, we take them on at full power. And not just them, but any supporters they garner. So, if it comes down to it…we may have to fight all of New York."

"C'mon, you don't think all of 'em are gonna fall for 'er like that, do ya?" Casey asked incredulously.

Mikey was the one to address that. "Everybody's scared 'cause of the Triceraton invasion. New York already got invaded twice by the Kraang, and a lot of the mutants that hurt people…we made 'em." He stopped to offer a small snort, unusual for him. "We didn't mean to, but we still made 'em. Snakeweed, Rahzar, Fishface, Slash…they wouldn't be that way if it weren't for us. So why wouldn't people be flocking to that Farrah lady? If I were one of them, I probably would, too."

Once Splinter arose from his seat and tapped his cane, everyone ceased and cast their eyes upon him. The look on his face clearly told them he heard enough information to know how to go about things, and they would be wise to follow along. The only ones who seemed to have any doubts about laying low, if it came down to that, were Leo, Karai, Raph, and Casey. The latter two were understandable; they wanted to take the fight to Farrah. With Leo and Karai, it was the full knowledge that they were fighting against superhumans and possibly the majority of New York. Things clearly were just getting worse.

"I agree with Cheyloe…until we know Farrah Rosenberg's true motives, we must not engage her." Splinter decided, turning towards his quarters and adding, "I pray she does not gain allies in our own enemies during this turmoil."

Once the rat disappeared into his room, the others dispersed. While Anna and Kaitlyn decided to go home and keep vigil over topside, Cheyloe would remain for a few days. Mikey assisted the brunette in helping Donnie to his feet before the former escorted his brother to his room. Once Karai, Casey, and April headed for the pit to watch the news, Chey went to go grab her sleepwear when a large green hand stopped her and turned her around. That's when she realized the hand belonged to Raphael.

"Raph?" Chey asked, alarmed.

The red-masked turtle frowned, but his eyes remained unreadable to her. She prepared herself for the worst; was he going to let her have it without April stopping him? As she opened her mouth, Raph beat her to the punch.

"Ya screwed up big time, leaving Donnie under OUR care. We're not nurses, unlike you." The temperamental turtle ground out, sneering as he spoke. A moment later that changed to exhaustion, showing just how worn Raphael really felt. "Just promise me yer not gonna do something like that again."

This was Raph, and he wasn't going to outright say he forgave her. Nevertheless, Cheyloe could already tell that was a good sign, and she slowly made her way back into his good graces. Smiling slightly, she immediately replied, "You won't have to worry about me bolting off again. I'm staying as long as Donnie needs me."

Only a nod came from Raph, but that proved enough for the brunette. There was no need for any flowery 'I forgive you' speeches, or even immediate forgiveness; if she had to win back their trust little-by-little, so be it. The temperamental turtle left a second later, and Chey thought that was the end of it…until she found herself stopped by a less-than-enthused Leonardo. She jumped at his sudden appearance in front of her, but what startled her more had to be the coldness in his normally-warm eyes. It was something very foreign to those who knew him.

"…You may have gotten everyone else's forgiveness, but not mine." Leo spoke in a voice like stone. "When Donnie needed you most, you weren't there, and now you think all will be forgotten."

"That's not what I think at all." Chey defended. "What I did was stupid, but you can't keep holding that against me, Leo. Whether you like it or not, I'm helping your brother heal. So you can either help with the healing process, or hamper it with your brooding; the choice is yours."

The blue masked turtle sneered. "Are you saying I'd hurt Donnie on purpose just to be selfish?"

"Well, you're not giving me any other impression. I can't tell you all the times I wanted to shake you for putting everyone in danger over Karai! Or all those one-man suicide missions everyone told me about!" The brunette chastised and rubbed her temples. "Look…it's been a long night, and we all need some rest. Just get these feelings resolved for Donnie's sake, all right?"

Cheyloe exited the dojo, leaving Leo glaring holes into the ground.

* * *

 _The Peninsula Hotel_

Nothing to make an evening better than a glass of merlot and an old-fashioned cigarillo. Farrah Rosenberg poured a glass of the desired drink before reaching into a silver case and pulling out a long, black cigarillo and lighting it. There was no way to tell what Sang was up to, unless it was something other than being engrossed in the television. She carried her glass and made her way to the glass doors leading to the balcony, staring down at the bustling cars below with indifference. All of them resembled ants scurrying around, hoping to find a sweet morsel. It almost amused her, but nothing amused her about the people below.

She didn't expect anything when she closed her eyes to take a long drink of merlot. She should've expected something when a loud thud resounded outside the glass doors, like something landing on the balcony. When Farrah swiftly opened her eyes, she found the strangest of sights heading in her direction. A large, skeletal, dog-like creature, some sort of fish fitted with robotic legs…and a man clad in metal armor.

Sang immediately rose from his place in the chair, but halted when Farrah held up her hand. The woman merely sat her glass down and made no move to stop the strange intruders from calmly opening the glass door and stepping inside the hotel room. She wasn't stupid; if any of them made one false move, she would deal with them swiftly, if Sang didn't first. She quickly took a puff from her cigarillo and casually asked, "May I help you?"

The man in metal armor stood about three feet away from Farrah, the creatures beside him stopping in-sync, and stared her dead in the eyes. "You made a very impressionable speech to the New York populace. However, it surprises me that you use mutants as the basis of your attack instead of aliens." He took a step closer and stood akin to a statue. "Tell me…what is your knowledge on these mutants?"

"The mutants?" Farrah asked, bemused, before uttering a chuckle. "I really know nothing about them, apart from what was reported on the telly. But that's what pulled at the paranoia of the people, right? It won't be long before they begin suspecting each other of being these creatures, if they keep eating it up."

The man's eyes widened. "You are just using mutants as a ploy to turn the people against each other? Not what I expected from the likes of you. You seemed to care about the people of this city."

Farrah shook her head. "I don't care anything for these idiots. There's only one person I really care about, and catalyzing this movement will flush her out. So tell me…why so interested in me?"

The man in armor kept up his unfaltering gaze. "My name is Oroku Saki, but to my enemies…I am known as the Shredder. A group of mutants and their rat of a father have cost me my daughter, Karai. They even have human allies; a red-haired girl and a boy playing vigilante…and even three young women with superhuman abilities." He smirked when Farrah's eyes widened slightly. "If the one you're looking for can be flushed out by an anti-mutant crusade, then she may be associated with those disgusting Turtles and their master."

"Turtles? I take it you have a history with them." Farrah mused, nonchalantly blowing smoke in Shredder's face. "You know…you've actually given me a spark of inspiration, dear Saki. Something that will strengthen my influence on the city, and can help you reclaim your daughter. I shall warn you…it will require a lot of patience on your part." She chortled at the confusion in his good eye. "Do not fret…it will be worth the wait."

Shredder gave a hum of interest, which echoed behind his mask. "And what is it that you have in mind?"

Farrah smirked and glanced at Sang, who chuckled darkly in response, before turning her gaze back to the armored ninja. "Let's further taint the image of the mutants…but it will require a few casualties. Use it to beckon your daughter back; she'll have no choice if anyone she cares about gets hurt." She sat her cigarillo down in a nearby ashtray and added, "Not only can it get your daughter back and destroy these Turtles, but if people arise in conflict with each other, the both of us can emerge and bring peace...and they will follow us like mindless sheep to the slaughterhouse. As the Yanks say...you scratch my back, I scratch yours."

Shredder watched Farrah extend her free hand to seal the deal. Normally, he would only offer a grunt of approval, or a bow in rare cases, but not some simple handshake. However, if this plan of Rosenberg's would pull Karai back into his fold, then he would go along with it. No, not just if it meant bringing his daughter back; it it meant the destruction of Hamato Yoshi and the remainder of his putrid clan, then he would oblige, even if it meant he couldn't take down the rat himself. That didn't mean he would be so trusting of this woman. If she could lie to the masses of New York, she could easily lie to him just to gain more power. Nevertheless, he would play along until he knew what her game really was. Thus, he clasped her hand with his and gave a firm nod of confirmation of the deal.

The agreement between two evils was officially affirmed.

* * *

 **I certainly hope this chapter was riveting enough, and I hope the same for the second part. Things will really pick up then, and we'll see betrayal and a major ally be injured. So it's confirmed that Farrah is lying to the public, but we'll discover her true motives later on. Now that she's working alongside Shredder, things will be extremely tough for our heroes! But how will they go about their plan? And will Leo be able to forgive Cheyloe and keep the team together? Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	40. Turning Tides, Part 2

**Author's Note: Whew, it's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I got sidetracked by playing The Sims 3, getting back into art, work, and just being exhausted. But now I'm back and with a new chapter! This is part 2 of Turning Tides, and there will be a Part 3. Here, we'll see Leo getting his act together, a betrayal by one of the Hamato Clan's allies, a disturbing crime, and a shocking revelation from Cheyloe. Read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 40: Turning Tides, Part 2

The sound of blades clashing with each other echoed in the dojo walls. At this hour, everyone should be in bed, but two individuals decided they would catch up on late-night training. Or early morning; they both lost track. One blade belonged to the aching hands of Leonardo, while the shorter blade belonged to the nimble hands of Karai. Even as siblings now, this remained their best form of communication: combat. It was how they met, and it would be how they lived. Leo believed this would be just another extra sparring session in the middle of the night.

Karai had something else on her mind.

"You're much more ferocious than usual, Leo!" Karai noted, barely dodging the edge of the katana blade. "All that bottled-up anger making you stronger?"

"I'm keeping focus!" Leo retorted, pushing the tanto blade back with his katana and attacking again. "If the team's going to survive this anti-mutant sentiment, then they need a leader that's in total focus!"

The kunoichi growled and blocked the opposing blade, ignoring the sweat seeping into her scaly face. "That's a lie, Leo! Ever since the invasion, you've been brooding! You changed after Donatello got hurt by that overgrown fossil!" She swiped at her brother, but only sliced through the air. "You're still mad at Cheyloe, even after she came back! You won't talk to anyone about it, not even Father!"

To her surprise, the blue-masked turtle let out a feral growl and lunged at her, blade tightly gripped in his hands as he swung it. Leo didn't care that sweat soaked into his mask and left a shiny film on his body to the point of dehydration. He would keep on fighting. He wouldn't stop until he really was the perfect leader. Then everyone would listen to him, he would keep the bad people away from his family without struggle, and no one would get hurt under his watch ever again. "What she did was unforgivable! She left our brother to suffer just so she could pretend nothing happened! She shouldn't have come back!"

"Coming back has actually been helping him these past few days!" Karai retorted, eyes flashing green. "You'd rather keep Donnie miserable just so you can pout like a big baby!" She swung her tanto and managed to nick Leo on the cheek, making him jump back. The kunoichi took the moment to catch her breath before going on, "…That's not the Leonardo I know. You'd want to help him, even if it meant forgiving someone who hurt him."

"NO!"

Ignoring the blood flowing from his cheek, Leo cried out in fury and once again swung his blade. The shouts and sounds of mad swinging were enough to arouse their brothers and father from slumber. All of them trudged into the dojo to give the two a piece of their minds, but closed their mouths once they witnessed the intensity of the fight. Everyone except Splinter.

"Leonardo! Miwa! That is enough!" The rat commanded.

Karai stopped to turn her head towards her father, but the sound of Leonardo shouting diverted her attention back to her now-crazed brother. Leo didn't heed Splinter's command, something the Leo everyone else knew wouldn't dare do. They no longer recognized the turtle wearing the blue mask as their brother and son; they just saw mad husk trying to slice Karai to ribbons.

"Our brother died for over five minutes!" Leo roared, ignoring the protests of the others as he landed a swipe on Karai's arm. "How do you think I felt having to stare at his bloodied body when he stopped breathing!? He wouldn't have suffered through that if he-"

"Leo, what the hell's your problem!?" Raph barked, going forward to attempt to stop the battle. "You're actin' crazy!"

"If he WHAT, Leo!?" Karai spat. "So you're blaming Donnie for this now!?"

"No, I'm not!" The blue-masked turtle shot back, the sight of his sister's blood not fazing him. "I'm not angry at him!"

It was Mikey's turn to counteract as he held Raph back, keeping him from adding to the damage done. "So you're still angry at Cheyloe, dude!? What else does she have to do to prove she's sorry!?"

Leo found his strength starting to falter, and he violently shook his head. "I'm not angry at her, either! I know she's sorry!"

Splinter narrowed his eyes. "Then who is your anger directed towards? The Triceratons? The Kraang? The humans above?"

Raising his katana above his head, Leo panted heavily and stared at his bleeding sister. She wasn't in his vision, however; all he saw was red. He was supposed to be the cool, calm, collected leader, the one who always kept his feelings in check and lived up to the perfection he expected of himself. Instead, he stood as an embittered, rage-filled lunatic about to slice Karai in half. But the words he spoke next gave them all the answer they needed.

"I'M ANGRY AT MYSELF!"

Before he could bring his blade down for a finishing blow, a desperate voice pleaded, "Leo, STOP IT!"

Donatello immediately ushered forward to stop the fight, but jostling his still-healing wound sent a jolt of pain through his torso and made him collapse onto his hands and knees with a yelp. That one sound seemed to snap Leo out of his frenzy and cast his ocean-blue eyes onto his second-youngest brother. He watched Raph, Mikey, and Splinter hovering over Donnie and asking him if he was okay; did his wound open up?. His eyes then darted to Karai clutching her bleeding arm and staring at Leo with frustration, scrutinizing him and watching for any other attack. Then his eyes went to the katana clutched in his shaking hands. Eyes widening and breath ragged, the cold realization dawned on him.

He was about to kill Karai. He caused Donnie enough worry to aggravate his injuries. He took his self-loathing anger out on his family and Cheyloe, the latter when she just wanted to rectify her mistakes. He even developed a hatred for the humans above, when most of them were only scared out of their minds.

The katana slid out of his hands and Leo cast his eyes upon the others. Raph was the one to give him a blazing glare, and the others sans Donnie just stared at him like they didn't know him. When Donnie finally looked to him…Leo lost it. The lead turtle fell to his knees and wept. His own hurt brother stared at him with fear. He never wanted Donnie or any of his brothers to give him that look; it absolutely broke him to think one of his brothers actually _feared_ him.

"If you are angry at yourself, Leonardo…" Splinter spoke slowly. "…then why do you lash out at your friends and family?"

Leo didn't want to answer at first, too ashamed by his actions and stunned by the look Donnie gave him. He knew he had to, however, to get something resolved for the sake of his family. "…D-Donnie got hurt under my watch. I know he did it to protect Cheyloe…b-but I should've stopped him from doing that. I should've told her not to guard the bomb, s-so Mozar wouldn't go towards her." He pounded his aching fists on his thighs and finally confessed, "I-I FAILED as a leader, and Donnie DIED because of my terrible leadership."

"…You talk like I'm still dead. I'm right here, you know." Donnie quipped, though his tone was serious and still strained. "You're our leader, and we follow your call, but you don't control all our decisions, Leo. I'll say it again and again if I have to that what I did was of my own choice."

"But you shouldn't have had to do that!" Leo argued, still crying and now hiccupping like a scared child.

"And what, let Cheyloe die at the hands of a psychotic dinosaur? I don't think so." The genius turtle clutched at his bandaged chest and knelt in front of his eldest brother. Leo looked so pitiful, but sounded worse; it was just like when they were kids. Whenever Leo felt like he let everyone down, he would always cry like a little baby. "You technically didn't answer Sensei's question…if you're mad at yourself, why take it out on us?"

Leo sniffled and wiped at his eyes. "I-I know this sounds stupid…but it was easier to lash out at everyone else than at myself. I wanted to stay mad at Cheyloe, but I know how…how frantic she was to save your life…and she succeeded. But just…seeing you die like that scared the crap out of me…and then when she just disappeared…"

"Leo…we can't change what happened. What we can do is make sure what happened and what's to come isn't going to tear us all apart." Donnie concluded, giving his elder brother a lop-sided smile. "Now come on…calm down, or you'll cry yourself sick."

"…I-I'm sorry, Donnie…everyone…"

Once Donnie got up with Leo's help, his attention went to Karai. It didn't matter that he was still injured; he had enough energy to mend her wounds. Taking her by the hand, the genius turtle ushered her in the direction of his lab to give her medical treatment. Splinter and Raph decided to follow, in case Donnie needed help getting back to bed, which left Leo and Mikey alone in the dojo.

"Mikey…"

"Dude…you beat yourself up over too much. You can't be perfect." The freckled turtle didn't smile; his expression remained somber as he looked at his eldest brother. "We gotta heal, bro. We have to if we're gonna take down Farrah."

Leo only offered a slow nod. "…I know."

"Let's get some sleep, Leo. Maybe Master Splinter'll let us all talk things out tomorrow."

Leo didn't say anything as Mikey exited, but he knew his little brother was correct: they needed to talk things out. Not just with the family, but with everyone they cared about…before things got worse.

* * *

"Things go well at work?"

"Yeah. I thought I was never going to convince Dr. Yeoh that I had a nasty case of the flu, but I think she bought it. More importantly, I should be asking you why it looks like you haven't slept."

April rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes as if to wipe them away. She should've expected it; as a nurse, Cheyloe was trained to be observant of many abnormalities with the human body. Bags under her eyes counted. "I've just…had a lot on my mind. Dad and I haven't been talking much, and it's got me worried. He gets mad every time I bring up the Turtles, so I stopped talking altogether. The only noise we ever make at dinnertime is hitting silverware against our plates…"

Cheyloe frowned, as well as Anna and Kaitlyn right behind them. The three of them decided to take April with them to hang out, under the premise of helping April pick out a decent college. That's what they told Mr. O'Neil; their real reason was just to find a way to ease the recent tension, though it risked the three superhumans being spotted by Farrah or her lackeys. Easier said than done when they encountered an anti-mutant nut every other step. If it wasn't someone holding up a sign and shouting death threats to any listening mutants, it was somebody trying to throw flyers at them, 'encouraging' them to join the anti-mutant movement.

"Don't these people ever shut up?" Kaitlyn griped, hands in her coat pockets. "If another one of 'em tries ta shove a flyer in my face, I'm gonna send 'em through th' wall."

"That'll expose us, Kaitlyn." Anna scolded as she shivered from the chilly night air. "We can't risk that, or it'll make it easier for Farrah to find us."

Ignoring their banter, Chey decided to speak further with April. "I hope things improve with you and your dad. I know that all that's happened may have made him a little…" She had to tread carefully when she described Mr. O'Neil in the nicest way she could, "...unstable."

Expecting the redhead to lash out at implying her dad was crazy, the brunette found herself surprised by her friend's reaction. "…I know. Losing Mom, captured by the Kraang, mutated twice, and witnessing two invasions…he's slipping. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid, like-"

"Joining the crowd?" Cheyloe gaped.

Join the crowd? What was Chey talking about? April opened her mouth to question the statement, when she looked over at the movie theater and saw a large crowd gathering. Right away, they knew it was a group of anti-mutant supporters, and it looked like they were about to have a rally. It would probably start as a rally, but had the potential to evolve into a riot at any moment. The redhead found herself flabbergasted at some of the people in attendance. She saw some of her high school teachers and former classmates holding up signs and flyers, and the people she saw at the grocery store. The person holding the megaphone and shouting the people into a roar turned out to be her former friend, Vernon Fenwick. Then, as her blue eyes scanned the crowd, one person in particular stood out in the back. Suddenly, April found herself dropping her phone and her jaw slacking open.

It was her father.

"D-Dad!?"

Despite the superhumans attempting to stop her, April ran towards the crowd, shoving past a few protestors, to confront Kirby. She had to know why her own father would be siding with the enemy, after all the Turtles did for them. She had to know why he would betray HER like this. Once she got to him, she saw him turn around and greet her with surprise.

"April? Aren't you supposed to be looking at colleges?" Mr. O'Neil asked as if nothing was wrong.

"Never mind that, Dad! What are you doing with the anti-mutant protestors!?" April interrogated, teeth gritted. "Why are you holding up that sign!?"

She caught a glance of the 'Mutants Must Go' sign Kirby held and didn't like it. She didn't pay attention to Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn catching up to her as they avoided the belligerent protestors shouting at them. Kirby immediately shot them a dirty look, suspecting they all lied to him about their evening plans, but kept his attention on April. "April, you know that the Turtles and all the other mutants only bring danger wherever they go. We would've been better off if we never encountered them."

"And wind up in a Kraang cell!? Dad, they saved our lives multiple times!" April argued. "Joining this movement is just slapping them in the face! If you stay with these people, you'll be putting the Turtles in danger! Or did you also forget what I am!?"

"Don't start that with me, April! You're not a threat like they are! The only one who can help us now is Farrah Rosenberg!" Kirby venomously shot back, inches from his daughter's face. "I already lost your mother to those godforsaken Kraang, I'm not going to lose you to a bunch of homicidal freaks!"

April's expression shattered, and it felt as though her heart shortly followed. Everything that happened, every instance her father's life was spared thanks to her friends…it was all meaningless to him now. He became just like everyone else: distrustful of mutants just because of what a bunch of aliens did. He drank from the Kool-Aid and wound up another one of Farrah Rosenberg's loyal followers, not caring how she felt about it. The redheaded girl backed away from her father, into the protective wall made by the superhumans. That apparently didn't sit well with Kirby.

"April, I'm doing this for you!" Kirby shouted when the women began walking off.

April swiftly turned around and shrieked, "You're doing this for YOURSELF!"

When the man attempted to pull his daughter back, he found himself stopped by Kaitlyn grabbing his arm and throwing him back as gently as her super-strength allowed. The three superhumans shot him acid glares; they were sure he included them in the 'homicidal freak' category.

"D-Don't keep me from my daughter!"

Anna was the one to address him. "Until you wake up and see that you're being fooled…April is staying with us. We're taking her home so she can pack her things, then she's staying at our apartment." She narrowed her eyes when she included, "You will not come onto our doorstep, or attempt to call her, until she's ready to speak to you…and that may not be for a LONG time."

"You can't do that! I'm her father!" Kirby protested. "I-I'll call the police!"

"In case ya haven't noticed, April ain't a kid anymore, bub!" Kaitlyn sneered. "She's got a right ta decide where she wants ta go, and ya can't stop 'er! So do us all a favor and step off!"

Cheyloe wrapped her arm around the now-sniffling April's shoulders and pulled her into a side-hug before helping her walk. "C'mon, April…everything'll be okay."

With a final warning glare, the superhumans and April walked in the direction of Lunar Palace Apartments, leaving Kirby to just stare at them slowly disappearing into the night. He couldn't process why April would be so adamant on siding with the mutants, after everything they endured since meeting them. It was because of those Turtles he became a bat mutant for months, and they were the reason so many of the other monsters were created. Sure, she was technically a mutant too, but she looked human enough to stay out of the radar!

He just had to give her some time. She would understand and hopefully join the cause later on. He was doing this just to protect her.

* * *

That morning, breakfast was quiet, save for the sound of silverware clanging against the plates. Even Mikey, the chattiest at breakfast, just sat poking at his waffles in boredom. Absent from the group was Donnie, who was once again having breakfast in bed, at Leo's insistence. The first reason for the dip in mood was obvious: no one had been to the surface for over two weeks, and they were starting to get stir-crazy. Both from Donnie's constant care and with the growing resentment above, going to the surface wouldn't be wise unless absolutely necessary. It was only thanks to April, Casey, and Cheyloe that they managed to have any groceries. The second reason, well…

"Dudes…don't we have something to talk about?" Mikey prodded, both his family and his waffles. "You know…something to do with last night?"

"Let's wait until Donnie's finished eating." Raph grumbled, pushing the last of his food aside in a huff. "If ya want mine, just take it; I'm not hungry anymore."

Leo kept his head down, but stole a few glances at Karai's bandaged arm and Splinter eyeing his children warily. No one would be this tense during breakfast if it hadn't been for his nighttime meltdown in the dojo. He could only imagine what was going through Donnie's head right now, or Sensei's, or Karai's…maybe they all thought he was dangerous now. They had a right to think that, considering what he tried to do to his own sister.

"Raphael is correct. It is important that all of us are present." Splinter sternly agreed. Sitting down his tea mug, he added, "Allow me to say this, however…we must not let the events of the Triceraton invasion and the current anti-mutant hostilities to pit us against each other. Let us maintain what the people above no longer have: unity." His brown eyes immediately glided over to Leonardo and Raphael, and both shared surprised faces. "Do I make myself clear?"

The orange-masked turtle swiftly got up from his seat and headed for the hallway. "I'm gonna go see if D needs more orange juice."

Karai took her plate and dropped it off in the sink, bowing to her father and declaring, "…I'm going into the dojo to meditate. Let me know when Donatello arrives."

That just left Leo, Raph, and Splinter sitting at the table. Just the three of them there made the present tension grow even worse, especially amongst the turtles in blue and red. The rat obviously sensed this, and lifted himself from his seat before walking to the overhead cabinet and grabbing an all-too-familiar bottle. "Leonardo, Raphael…I know that the both of you have held in your anger since Donatello became injured. Keeping that anger bottled away is bad enough, but you must also prevent yourselves from directing it at the wrong targets."

"…Were you angry with her too, Sensei?" Leo questioned softly.

Splinter closed his eyes and felt his ears flatten against his scalp. "For Donatello's injuries, no. For her disappearance…I admit, I held anger in the beginning. I could not understand why she would not come and treat your brother's wounds, or give him something to dull his pain. That's when I remembered what Donatello told me about the Embry boy…and how their attempts to protect Cheyloe were eerily similar."

He sat back down, placing the mutagenic medicine and dosage cup on the table, and looked at his eldest sons as their father, not their Sensei. "While I am not excusing her behavior, I can understand why she acted in such a manner. However, she knows now that running won't make the problem go away. I respect her for trying to amend her mistakes…but I believe that the both of you need to find some clarity with her."

Raphael shrugged. "Already taken care of with me. She knows the score with me…Leo's the only one here needing a little chat."

The lead turtle turned his head away, embarrassed at being called out. He knew he had to be put on the spot, but he hated it that it had to be Raph of all people to do it. It was different, though. Normally, Raph would throw in a smug smirk afterwards or roughly nudge him with his fist until Splinter gave them a reprimanding glare. This time, his brother only stared at him with a brooding expression; he was serious about this. "…I want to make things right, Sensei. I want to make things right with our family and friends. Please…please forgive me for last night…I'm sorry."

As he spoke his apology, Donnie quietly entered the kitchen alongside Mikey, and it was obvious he caught the majority of his brother's resolve. The moment he locked eyes with Leo, he offered his eldest brother a fatigued smile, then he went to the table and slowly sat down. The smile said a lot to the others; Donnie wanted unity back in their household as much as they did. All they had to do was retrieve Karai, and then they would have the much-needed family discussion…and that was interrupted by the T-Phone on the table going off. Everyone glanced at each other, not sure whether they should answer it or let it go to voicemail, until the genius turtle decided to do the honors.

"Uh, hello?" Donnie asked, clearing his throat.

 _"Donatello? I'm glad you're awake!_ " The voice belonging to Cheyloe sighed in relief. _"I was calling to see how you all were doing…"_

Leaning on his elbow, Donatello held his free hand to his mouth and absentmindedly began to bite on his knuckle. "We're…we've been better." He abruptly paused when he heard a muffled sound in the background, and he knew it wasn't the TV. "Cheyloe…is that April in the background?"

There was silence for about five seconds, making the muffled sound of sobbing in the background clearer; why on earth would April be crying? Finally, Chey came back on the phone and confessed, _"Donnie…April's going to stay with us for a while. Things happened at home, and we invited her to come over."_

He didn't know why, but Donnie immediately put the phone on speaker. Whatever happened at home that would prompt the redhead to be staying over at Chey's apartment sent alarms off in his head, and he felt it was important enough for the others to know the same time he did. "I've got the phone on speaker. Did she…did she say what happened?"

 _"She didn't have to say anything…we saw it happen."_ Cheyloe took a deep breath and found the words suddenly tumbling out of her mouth, _"Mr. O'Neil has joined the anti-mutant movement."_

Everyone leaned back at the revelation, and Donnie almost let the T-Phone slide out of his grasp. Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse…one of their closest allies up and betrays them, just like that. Sure, Kirby was often skittish around them, and he didn't like that April was often in danger when around them, but joining the very group out to get them? What possessed the man to do such a thing? With Mr. O'Neil a part of the anti-mutant movement, he could very well reveal their location to Farrah…

 _"Wait, what's that?"_ Cheyloe heard someone addressing her in the background before she went back to Donnie, _"You guys should turn on the TV right now! There's something on the news; I think it's another conference!"_

Mikey wasted no time in turning on the television, right on time for the Hamato Clan to see a live news feed. It was difficult to see exactly what was going on, thanks to the large crowd of people behind the cameraman, but the looks on their faces meant something terrible happened. A few seconds later, the family gasped when they saw two or three stretchers in view, and each had something wrapped in black bagging on them. They watched enough crime shows online to know what a black bag on a stretcher meant.

 _"Police responded to an anonymous call, leading them to the residence of Mrs. Dorothy Morrison, where she was found deceased in the kitchen of her apartment. Alongside her, the bodies of her home health aide, Kevin Zbornak, and her next-door neighbor, Martha Perez. Officers and crime-scene analysts are still looking into the cause, but all evidence is pointing to homicide."_

One man, probably one of the apartment residents, grabbed the microphone from the reporter and shouted, _"I saw a bunch of claw marks in there! Mutants killed them! They're gonna kill everybody!"_

 _"I saw the marks, too!"_ A woman cried. _"Mrs. Morrison was slashed to pieces by one of those monsters!"_

The crowd began yelling frantically, drowning out the reporter as he tried concluding the story. Without warning, the frenzy erupted as people shoved the reporter and the cameraman down, making the screen fade to static and the sound stop. As the image went back to the newsroom, the Hamato Clan sat aghast, processing what they heard. What kind of mutant would just go into an old woman's home and viciously kill her, her aide, and her neighbor? The most-likely suspects were either Rahzar or Tiger Claw, but even they weren't that reckless. Could the perpetrator have been an entirely new mutant? One that didn't know any better and just acted out of fear? Was it even possible…that one of their mutant allies snapped from the building tension and did this by accident?

Or were they missing something?

"…I'd like to get a look at that crime scene." Donnie murmured. "If I can get one glimpse of it, I could probably tell whether or not a mutant did it."

"If that guy saw claw marks…maybe a mutant DID do it." Leo pondered. Ignoring the shocked stares from everyone else, he suddenly had a thought, "Unless…it was someone trying to make it LOOK like a mutant did it."

"Whatever the case…things are just gonna keep getting worse, aren't they?" Raph growled, the shouting of the frenzied people echoing in his mind and causing a migraine. "It's just gonna get worse and worse."

If Raphael's statement was indeed true, then perhaps those three people were just the beginning. How many more people would lose their lives because of this anti-mutant frenzy? Were there mutants taking advantage of the situation by actively killing the citizens? Or was this perhaps an elaborate setup to further increase the terror and rage towards mutants? Either way…maybe things WERE going to get worse before they got better.

They just hoped the attacks wouldn't hit close to home.

* * *

Later in the evening, two familiar faces entered the lair, but neither of them were in chipper moods. Apparently, both of them had seen the broadcast that morning, putting them in an overcautious state of mind on their way here, but who wouldn't be overly-cautious? Casey couldn't join them this evening; he went to the ice rink to clear his mind. Nevertheless, they knew how to take care of themselves in case trouble came, but they knew to avoid the crazies above.

"April! Cheyloe!" Michelangelo greeted, acting as though nothing was wrong. "You two are just in time for some homemade lasagna! I promise I didn't put algae and Mentos in it this time, so don't worry. Donnie already gave me a lecture on that."

Chey smile nervously. "Thanks Mikey, I might have some later. I just came to give Donnie another round of wound-cleaning."

The freckled turtle narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Ah, spending more time with Donnie, eh? Keep doing this, and you'll definitely become our new sister-in-law!" Ignoring the brunette suddenly blushing and stuttering, Mikey turned to April and felt his grin fade when he saw her glum expression. "April? Uh, well, sorry about your dad-"

"Don't even bring him up around me!" The redhead spat, teeth gritted, before she forced herself to relax. "…I'm sorry, Mikey. I just can't believe he'd do this to me…to us."

Mikey always hated seeing April sad. From the time period when her father was taken by the Kraang, to the days spent not knowing where Donnie was, to staying up at the farmhouse, and to the days Donnie remained in critical condition, he didn't want his best friend to cry, and he would always find a way to cheer her up and make things okay. But even he knew that some things just couldn't be made okay…this was one of them. "April…you couldn't help what he did. He just thinks he's protecting you…he doesn't realize how messed up those people are. He's your dad, Ape…don't hate him."

April shook her head and wiped at her tired eyes, pulling back water. "I don't hate him, Mikey. I just don't want to speak to him for a while, that's all. I just want to visit and clear my head for a while, if that's okay."

"That's A-Okay, April. Anything you need, Michelangelo Hamato is here to provide it."

Meanwhile, Cheyloe opened the door to reveal Donatello in his room, his laptop resting on his knees as he typed away. Typical…still injured and as much a workaholic as she was. The brunette cleared her throat, getting the turtle's attention, before stating, "Hey…ready for another wound-cleaning session?"

Donnie offered a lop-sided smile and pushed his laptop aside. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Once Donnie sat himself on the edge of the bed, Chey began undressing his wound and prepping the alcohol and antibiotic ointments, having clean gauze and wrap on the side when the task finished. She certainly had to give the Fugitoid credit; the genius turtle's wound wasn't fully healed, but it was healing nicely. As long as it remained an open wound, though, it still needed daily cleaning, and she made that her duty. She wouldn't tell Donnie that she felt lingering guilt over it; he didn't need that stress to go with what happened with Mr. O'Neil.

"…I hope April will be okay." Donnie finally spoke, wincing as he felt the familiar alcohol burn. "I can't believe Mr. O'Neil, of all people, would do that…"

"I do, too." Cheyloe replied softly. Once she got the ointment ready, she began dabbing it on the turtle's wound as she added, "That news report…people are so quick to pin the blame on mutants. How do they know one did it without evidence?"

"That's been bothering me, too. I mean, it's possible that a mutant went berserk and did it, or the Foot Clan could have involvement." Donnie glanced back at his laptop, automatically raising his arms the moment he felt gauze touch his wound so the brunette could wrap him up. "But…I don't think even they would want any more spotlight on them. I can't shake the feeling that something's going on behind the scenes." The genius turtle suddenly lowered his arms and pressed on the bandages as he stared at the nurse. "Cheyloe…you said Farrah is a superhuman, right? Do you think she had anything to do with this?"

Once the bandages were applied, Chey let out a long-held breath and averted her eyes, pondering on the possibility. "…I really don't know, Donnie. If I could look at the victims' wounds, then I'd know for sure if she did it. I wouldn't be surprised if she did do it, though...I just want to know why mutants are her new targets."

"New targets? Cheyloe, what do you mean by that?"

He could see her clench her fists tightly and her body begin quivering. He immediately knew to place a hand on her shoulder, and he could feel her relax under his touch. A nod from him was all it took to get Chey talking…and boy, just that one sentence she spoke sent him spiraling.

"There's something I didn't tell you about Farrah." She murmured. "…She was the one who wanted Embry killed."

* * *

 **Well, that wraps up Part 2, so get ready for Part 3. In the next chapter, Kirby makes a drastic move, and it will result in one of the Turtles' allies being close to death. Will they survive or die at the hands of their enemies? Will Shredder make his team-up with Farrah known, and use that to goad Karai back to him? How will our heroes stop Shredder and Farrah? Stay tuned and find out!**


	41. Turning Tides, Part 3

**Author's Note: I certainly updated quicker than expected, but here's part three of Turning Tides. As I stated before, an ally of the Turtles' is captured and seriously injured, and it's unclear whether or not they'll survive. Meanwhile, Farrah spins more stories to sway the public, including none-other than Mr. O'Neil, and will spur him to do something he'll later regret. Cheyloe shares more about Farrah and her connection with Embry's death, and the Turtles and their family continue to heal. But will this coming incident prove too much for them? Read and review!**

 **Summary: _A close friend of the Turtles ends up clinging to life, thanks to an error in judgment from Kirby._**

* * *

Chapter 41: Turning Tides, Part 3

Kirby only realized now how empty his apartment became.

The man glanced around from his seat in the living room, taking notice the quiet atmosphere that shouldn't be there. He first dealt with this terrible silence the night after he lost his wife to the Kraang. Now he had to deal with it again after April essentially abandoned him. How could his own daughter, his flesh and blood, do this to him? All he wanted was to protect her from the monsters wanting to snatch her away from him. Though their troubles started with those accursed Kraang…everything went downhill when those Turtles dropped into their lives.

True, Donatello rescued him from a Kraang dungeon, and rescued him from Dimension X…but that was it. They weren't able to save him the first time, resulting in April being all alone. They mutated him into a mindless bat, ripping him from April once again. She became infected with mutant venom just because of her association with them. She almost had a needle driven into her skull because she was with THEM in TCRI. April got hurt too many times because of them…therefore, they were extremely dangerous. Why couldn't his daughter understand that?

The only one who could even hope to help him persuade April to change her mind would be Farrah Rosenberg. He hadn't met her in-person yet, but surely she was as compassionate and willing to assist as she portrayed herself on television. If he could just tell her his story, she could give him what he needed to get his daughter back. He knew right now that she had to be with those superhumans…and they were just as bad as the Turtles. It didn't matter if they were mutated by accident, creatures serving Shredder, or so-called protectors of the city.

All mutants were dangerous.

 _"People of New York…I wish to confess something I've held in for so long. Please, allow me to share with you my reason for birthing this crusade. When I was a young girl…I'm sorry, it's hard for me to tell this tale. When I was a young girl, my parents and I lived in a quaint home on a farm in Yorkshire. One night, while Mum prepared dinner and Father watched television…we were attacked. They were vicious beasts, growling and cackling in madness, as they mauled my parents to death. I hid away in the closet…I was fortunate they didn't track my scent. They left me…an orphan. Looking back on it now…I believe these creatures were mutants. Thus…I feel so strongly about this because I don't want anyone else to suffer through what I did. Citizens, please…if any of you feel in danger of these monsters where you live, please call us. A special squad led by my dear assistant Luc will arrive to offer protection."_

Kirby leaned forward in his chair as Farrah Rosenberg recited another speech on live television, this time inside City Hall. The moment the woman told of her parents being murdered by mutants, he leaned back in shock and immediately thought of April. Farrah lost her parents to mutants and didn't want anyone else to know that pain…so she could understand his pain! Though Beth had been taken away by the Kraang, the Kraang and mutants went together like puzzle pieces. He didn't want to be hit with a double-whammy…he had to protect April, no matter how much she protested. He knew best.

Not tearing his eyes and ears away from the mesmerizing speech of Farrah Rosenberg, Kirby quietly picked up his phone and dialed a number that flashed on the screen every little bit. The number was designed to inform the city officials and even Rosenberg herself of where mutants congregated or if they attacked. Very few people called the number, maybe out of skepticism or fear of making things worse. Kirby wasn't one of those people.

 _"Yes?"_ A French-accented voice answered.

"H-Hello…my name is Kirby O'Neil." The man began in a shaky voice. "I'm calling to inform you…that I know of a place that some of these mutants like to gather."

 _"…Is that so? Please, Mr. O'Neil, tell us where this place is. Do you suspect a family member is in danger of these mutants?"_

Kirby frantically nodded his head. "H-How did you know? It's my daughter…I fear she'll end up being a victim of them, or be swayed to protect them. She already has a friend defending those monsters; some punk named Casey Jones! I just want to protect her…I already lost my wife, I can't-"

 _"Silencieux! Calm down, Mr. O'Neil."_ The French-accented young man hushed before going back to his calm demeanor. _"We will do what we can to protect your daughter. Just tell us this gathering place, and we will deal with the problem."_

His hands and breath still trembling, the man answered, almost in rehearsal, "Murakami's Noodle Shop. That's where they like to go."

The voice on the other end gave a hum of confirmation, and Kirby believed he could also hear a thinly-veiled chuckle follow. _"Merci, Mr. O'Neil. We shall have the problem dealt with swiftly…and we'll make sure your daughter is safely returned to you."_

Disconnecting the call in relief, Kirby didn't care at the moment the repercussions of his actions, or if April ended up angry at him for a long time. No matter the cost, he would get his daughter back home.

At the moment, he didn't care who got hurt in the process.

* * *

"Are you serious!? FARRAH is the one who wanted Embry killed!?"

Ignoring the shrill volume in Donatello's voice and the others erupting into his room, Cheyloe gave a curt nod before finishing up with his bandages. Why she didn't tell him this earlier, she didn't know; maybe she was still in denial of Farrah's arrival. But Donnie had the right to know…as well as the rest of his family. They had the right to know her true connection with Farrah, but she didn't know whether or not to reveal more about the woman's past. With the other Turtles, Karai, Splinter, and April gathered in the now-cramped space, Cheyloe sat on the edge of the bed next to Donnie and prepped herself for a long story.

"I'm sorry I didn't share this sooner." She apologized quietly. "I guess I didn't want to believe she was here and plotting all this. But now, I want to tell you all about my connection with Farrah."

April touched the tips of her fingers to her temples and narrowed her eyes. "…Is it true Farrah wanted Embry dead?"

Chey hummed in agreement. "Yeah…she wanted him dead. She sent two superhumans to do the job. I never knew their real names, but they were always referred to as Syzygy and Heat. Heat was just some drug-addict that happened to develop powers, but Syzygy was a bloodthirsty sociopath willing to kill just to do it, especially after he developed powers. He didn't even care if the target was a child…"

"So, what happened to 'em?" Raph asked, not noticing Donnie wince.

"My guess is Heat chickened out…but as for Syzygy…" The brunette wrung her hands together as she concluded, "After he stabbed Embry…I killed him. I emptied my gun into him until Embry told me to stop…as he lay dying."

Everyone stood in shock, though the only one who knew all that happened was Donnie. He traveled back in time and witnessed it, and he was the reason Heat ran like a coward. The image of Cheyloe sobbing over Embry's dead body and her screams still haunted him, and if he had been able to ensure both she and the boy survived, he would've…even if it meant he and Chey never met. But if they hadn't met, he wouldn't have survived Slash's attack, so everything remained how it should be. Just as Tang Shen's demise remained permanent, so would the demise of Embry Karnes.

But there still remained two black spots: Oroku Saki and Farrah Rosenberg.

"Why?" Mikey asked, blue eyes glued to the floor in mourning. "Why would she want to kill a little kid?"

"It all comes down to one thing: power." The brunette answered, albeit harsher than intended. "Embry…was a special superhuman. His abilities allowed him to nullify other superhuman abilities, as long as another superhuman stood near him. However, his blood would've been a key ingredient in a cure for the superhuman gene, kind of like a vaccine."

"…And Farrah didn't want that." Donnie cut in, swallowing hard. "He was a threat to her power."

Chey once again nodded. "Like I said…there are both good superhumans and bad superhumans. If a cure was developed from Embry's blood, that would mean less supporters for her cause…superhuman supremacy. Without support, that means less power for her and her goals. So what does she do? Take out the one hope the disfigured, homeless, and scared superhumans have of going back to stability." She suddenly bowed her head, arms wrapped around her torso, when she hoarsely added, "…It was almost like he knew he was going to die…and he accepted it."

Raphael clenched his hands into tight fists and slammed one against the doorframe. "That BITCH! She's no different from Shredder! They…" He could feel April put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and his anger couldn't shrug it off. "The both murder innocent people out of selfish greed…there's no redeemin' them! We gotta take 'em down!"

"There's one thing I don't get…" Karai spoke up, arms crossed and lips pursed together. "Why New York? She could've started her little movement anywhere else, but why here?"

"Maybe…maybe she saw the broadcast of the invasion on TV and saw me, Anna, and Kaitlyn." Chey concluded, horror in her tone as she straightened herself up. "Anna told me that in her first speech…she mentioned mutants that 'appeared human'. She probably used that to reference the three of us, or-or even April!"

Donnie suddenly gasped. "Do you think Mr. O'Neil even took into consideration April being a mutant when he joined the movement? If they found out about April's Kraang DNA, then it wouldn't matter if she looked human…"

Nothing else needed to be said, because everyone knew the conclusion Donatello came to. If the anti-mutant fanatics ever found out April's half-human, half-Kraang heritage, they would take her and kill her. With Kirby in their ranks, the location of the lair would be possible ammo against them. He could even tell them about the Mutanimals, and the superhumans, and if their worst fears were confirmed…he would probably tip off the Foot Clan. The only thing that could appease the man? Handing over April. April would refuse, of course, even if it meant her father became an enemy from now on.

"Guys…we've got a head missing." Raph stated, looking around frantically. "I-Is Casey at home!? He needs to know about all this!"

"I haven't called him tonight…" April confessed, now worried. "If that bonehead is trying to patrol with everything going on, I'll knock the rest of his teeth out! We've got to find them!"

Leo immediately went towards the dojo, ready to grab his weapons and anything else needed. "A few of us need to go up there and get him to the lair." He turned to Splinter and stated, "Sensei, I know it'll be risky, but we can't risk Casey getting hurt by those maniacs. Raph, April, Karai and I will go get him and be back as soon as possible."

"Wait, are you sure it's a good idea to take April?" Chey questioned. "Mr. O'Neil may have them looking for her."

"She'll be best at tracking Casey. We have to take the risk." The blue-masked turtle insisted as he allowed Raph, Karai, and April to go ahead of him. Instead of following, he turned to the brunette and wore a soft, awkward expression. "Cheyloe…I'm sorry for how I treated you. You've proven that you want to make things right…and thank you for giving us valuable info…and for saving Donnie's life twice."

"Leo…you had every right to say those things. What I did was really stupid, and I'll do everything I can to earn your trust back." Cheyloe gingerly rested her hand on top of Donnie's, not noticing the blush on his face when she added, "All of you."

The lead turtle gave a firm nod and offered a smile. "We'll call in case there's trouble."

With the designated team heading out the door, that left Donnie, Chey, Mikey, and Splinter to wait for them. If they were lucky, the anti-mutant members wouldn't target Casey or any other human ally, just as long as their connection to them remained unknown. Nevertheless, they only saw how bad things were on television; they could very well be much worse once the group reached the surface. What if the protesters were armed? What if they already had facilities made to contain any captured mutants? What if they were throwing mutant supporters in jail for speaking out?

"…Do you guys think Casey'll be all right?" Mikey asked in a whisper.

The genius turtle stared at the door, feeling that familiar ache in his chest when something bad was on the way. "…I don't know, Mikey. We just have to hope they'll find him in time, before anyone else does."

* * *

Casey always knew something wasn't right when the streets were too quiet.

When he planned on going over to Murakami's to get the guys and April a bite to eat, he expected it to be free of hassle; maybe encountering a few anti-mutant kooks or a Purple Dragon. He didn't expect the streets to be like a ghost town this early. What happened? The hockey player's first thoughts went to a curfew, something he'd expect the mayor or Farrah Rosenberg one to establish amidst the tension. Maybe people were just too scared to leave their homes after that triple murder, but something wasn't right about it. Yeah, there were claw marks when they released pictures of the apartment, but they didn't look like anything Slash or Rahzar or Tiger Claw would've inflicted. He wasn't into the forensic stuff like Donatello, but he could've sworn they were about as wide as…fingernails. But what kind of person could kill three people with just fingernails?

Parking his bike on the curb, Casey quietly made his way to the curtained doorway, hoping to find Murakami safe and cooking good food. Instead, he found the building eerily dark and knew something was seriously amiss. The hair on the back of his neck instantly stood on end; somebody other than Murakami-san was here. He had to go back to his bike and grab his hockey stick and bat. Before he could, a long blade flew through the air and ended up jutting through the rim of the bike. That kind of blade could only belong to one thing…

"Foot Bots!?"

Several Foot Bots appeared on the scene, shrieking and weapons ready for battle. Seriously, how did the Foot Clan still have those things with the Kraang gone? No matter…time for Casey to do what he did best: fight. Even with his bike down, he managed to dash and grab his stick and bat before charging at the robotic ninjas. Too bad he didn't have the rest of his gear, or he would put up a better fight, but he managed to take two Foot Bots down. Seeing another charge made him improvise, as he grabbed the blade off a fallen one and jabbed it into its metallic skull. That left about four more ready to pounce, and he wasn't about to go down.

Two of the four put up a decent fight, one kneeing him in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. However, thanks to some shared techniques between himself and Raphael, the hockey player quickly recovered and hit the offending robot with enough force to lob its head off. He then used said head as a substitute hockey puck, hitting it midair at the second and sending it crashing into a wall. Finally, two left. All he had to do was take their heads off too before-

His limbs suddenly seized.

Casey didn't know what caused this, but he could no longer move any part of his body. Shaking violently, he suddenly found himself dropping to his knees and throwing his hands behind his back, like a puppet being controlled by invisible strings. Did the Foot Bots inject him with something while he was so focused on the fight? He'd be able to think about it if his body didn't suddenly and violently lean over, almost bashing his head into the pavement. Casey glanced up the best he could, and saw more Foot Bots…and someone else.

"W-Who are you!?" Casey demanded, gritting his teeth and fighting his lack of control. "Where'd you get the Foot Bots!?"

The figure lording over him chuckled. "So…this is the Turtle ally he told us about. That coward O'Neil even mentioned him…Jones, right?"

Casey snarled at the arrogant, French-accented voice, but even more so at the mention of Mr. O'Neil ratting him out; all this over April. "What'd ya do to me, ya freak!?"

The figure didn't answer, only turning to the Foot Bots and commanding, "Make this street thug presentable. We're going to have quite the show at the docks."

Before Casey could interject any more, he watched helplessly as a Foot Bot violently shoved a sack over his head.

* * *

"Why isn't Casey picking up!? Did that bonehead forget to charge his phone again!?"

Leonardo watched Raphael fumble with his T-Phone, attempting to call Casey for the twentieth time, as he scanned the city with their trusty telescope. So far, no guy wearing a dirty sweatshirt wearing a hockey mask…actually, so far, nobody roamed the streets at this hour, and Leo knew this strayed far from the norm. Where were all the people, under lockdown? In the best-case scenario, Casey just got called home by his dad and forgot to charge his phone. In the worst-case scenario…

"April, have you tracked him yet?" The lead turtle asked in a panic.

April had her fingertips to her temples and her eyes squeezed shut. "I can't focus on his location. I'd be able to if you guys would stop shouting!"

Ignoring the banter of the other three, Karai sprinted-or rather, slithered-across the rooftops in search of any sign of Casey Jones. She didn't know the first thing to look for though, because she and Jones never exactly clicked. The kunoichi wouldn't count that 'kiss' while she was still under mind control; the only time they ever had any true interaction had to be during the Triceraton invasion. Once this was over and done with, she would tease April about what she possibly saw in that smelly, dirty, cave-mouthed puckhead. Now if she were that puckhead, where would she be?

That thought disappeared when her serpentine eyes focused on the mess on the street…including a fallen bike.

"This is his bike!" Karai called, shifting back to human form and jumping down.

The others followed her, and also bore witness to the bike and why it had fallen. A blade pinned it to the ground, and it was a blade they were all-too-familiar with: a Foot Bot blade. That's when they took notice of the fallen Foot Bots scattered around; Casey put up a decent fight. So where was he? Raph found the answer when he happened upon the hockey stick, bat, and his best friend's T-Phone. All these items, and no Casey with them.

"…The Foot's got 'im!" The red-masked turtle snarled. "They got Casey!"

Leo picked up the T-Phone and watched his brother seethe in rage, feeling helpless to calm him. "But why would they want him?"

Karai frowned. "If they're hoping to use him as a bargaining chip against me, they picked a lousy target. No offense, but I'm not that worked-up over Jones."

April ignored the slightly-snide comment and put her hands back to her temples. Karai, in spite of her still-present aloofness, brought up a valid point: if the Foot didn't want Casey to draw her out, why would they take him? None of it added up…unless what Splinter expressed earlier came true. A wave of pain reverberated through her skull, causing her to groan and lean over slightly, much to the others' alarm.

Raph was the first to put his hand on her shoulders and steady her. "What's wrong, April? Did ya find 'im?"

"I…I think so." The redhead replied. She wished Anna trained her more on tracking people, but she swore she could sense the hockey player at that moment. "Casey…he's at the docks! He's not alone, either…I sense three other people." She squeezed her eyes shut even more until the pain in her head proved unbearable. "I-I can't tell who the first two are…but the third one…" She gasped and shot her eyes open. "It's Shredder!"

"SHREDDER!?"

If Shredder really was at the docks like April sensed, then Casey was as good as dead. The armor-clad ninja still had to be sore over that electrocution stunt at Auman Chemicals, but that still didn't explain why the Foot took Casey in the first place. Did it have something to do with the two mystery people April picked up on? Leo especially had a hunch who one of those two mystery people was…

"We've got to get to the docks, and fast!"

* * *

Casey certainly didn't appreciate being thrown against the wood of the docks like a sack of fish. He knew it was the docks, even with the bag over his head, due to the wooden boards, the smell of salt, and the sound of water. It didn't answer why he was here, but he knew right away the Foot wanted him for some reason. It had to be over Karai, but why would they pick up a guy like him and not someone like Leo or Splinter. A string of curses came out of the young man's mouth until one of the Foot Bots yanked the bag off his head, leaving him face-to-face with the man nightmares were made of.

"…Shred-Head."

The Shredder, accompanied by multiple Foot Bots, stood glowering down at him. Maybe it was him, but he felt like the tin can had more than a bunch of robots with him; where were they, though? The hockey player fought to get out of his restraints, but found himself helpless against the armored ninja…a feeling he hated so much since his mother died. If he could just get loose…

"I was hoping to have one of the Turtles or the rat…Karai cares little for this one." Shredder rumbled, stepping towards Casey as the Foot Bots backed away. "The O'Neil man lets too many things slip when it comes to his precious daughter."

Casey's eyes widened at the revelation. So he was currently tied up and at the mercy of Shredder because Mr. O'Neil ran his mouth? But that would mean… "Wow Shred-Head, didn't think you'd let a lady boss you around. She throw a bunch 'a lies at you, too?"

"Do not speak in such a manner about Farrah!" The French-accented young man spat. "Careful what you say, street rat, or you'll become _collateral damage_."

Shredder kneeled forward, unsheathing the blades hidden in his gauntlet, and looked Casey dead in the eyes. He didn't care that the young man gulped and had beads of sweat on his face; he just wanted the one thing that mattered anymore. "I will ask you once…where is Karai?"

The hockey player gritted his teeth, and decided to give his answer. "I'm not tellin' ya where she is, just so you can hurt 'er again. She's with 'er REAL dad now, so get over it and leave 'er alone!" Casey proceeded to narrow his eyes, draw his head back slightly, and spit in Shredder's face. "…And leave my friends alone, too!"

Shredder wiped at his face, a rage brewing underneath his calm façade. He glanced up in the direction of a stack of shipping containers, obscuring a figure into a shadowy silhouette, before asking plainly, "…Do you have any need for this thug?"

Casey could hear a chuckle, and he immediately recognized the voice…the same voice appearing over and over again on news conferences.

"Do with him what you wish…I just need you gone quickly so we can put on a great show for the cameras."

Before Casey could call out the woman who became the face of New York, he focused his attention on Shredder, who stood up fully, drew his arm back…and proceeded to drive the blades of his gauntlet through Casey's stomach. He gasped, grunting a second later when the armored ninja slowly withdrew his blades from his body. His body fell to the side, and gurgles came out of his mouth as blood began to rise…and he watched helplessly as Shredder kicked him into the watery depths below, intending to let him drown and bleed to death at the same time.

For the first time in a long time, Casey was scared out of his mind.

Unbeknownst to him or the retreating Foot Clan, four sets of eyes just witness what happened from above. Raphael panicked, no, he hyperventilated at having seen his best friend stabbed and tossed into the ocean, and he knew they had to get him out.

"Casey! CASEY!"

"We can't get their fast enough to get him out!" Leo cried out, following his sprinting brother to the docks. "Raph, wait!"

As April stood helpless, calling out Casey's name, Karai decided to do something about it. She once again shifted into her snake form and hurriedly slithered from the top of the containment boxes and dove into the ocean. Not only was her vision underwater better, but she could also swim to Jones faster before he bled out. The serpent hoped the guy didn't sink too far into the depths, but it took only a few seconds to find the unusually-still Casey slowly sinking to the bottom. Karai acted fast and wrapped him in her long tail before pulling the both of them to the surface. The hockey player remained unresponsive, his head lolling forward even when she attempted to shake him awake.

"Karai's got 'im!" Raph ran to the dock and took Casey as the kunoichi handed him over. "All right, Karai!"

Leo and April both took hold of Casey, panicking when they found him barely conscious and hacking up bloody water. "He's still bleeding pretty bad, probably has internal bleeding, too." Leo direly concluded, looking for a pulse and finding a very faint one. "April, Karai, get him to the hospital! Get him there before it's too late! Raph and I will go back to the lair and update everyone!"

Raph, however, took out Casey's phone and searched through the address book until he found an entry titled 'Dad'. As much as he hoped it wouldn't come to this regardless of the circumstances, he had to reveal himself to Casey's father, even if it was just his voice. But Casey's dad had a right to know that his son could possibly die; he didn't want him to go through what Splinter went through. The temperamental turtle hit the call button and prayed for an answer.

 _"Casey, yer supposed ta be home right now! Where are you?"_ A gruff voice answered.

"U-Uh, is this Mr. Jones!?" Raph asked frantically. "T-This is Casey's friend, Raphael!"

 _"Huh? He's never mentioned anybody named Raphael! Where's my son?"_

Raph gulped and forced himself to speak further. "Believe me, he's my friend! This is important, Mr. Jones! Casey…Casey's bein' taken to the hospital by April…he's…h-he's been stabbed!"

 _"Casey's been STABBED!?"_ Arnold Jones shouted through the speaker, making Raph wince. _"Who did it!? WHO HURT MY SON!?"_

"You won't know the guy, but you'd better get to the hospital now! Casey…he might not make it!" The red-masked turtle wiped tears out of his eyes and felt himself be led away by Leo when the faint sound of police sirens resounded in the distance. "I-I will tell you this, sir…Farrah Rosenberg had a hand in it!"

When Raph disconnected the call, he didn't know what was going on in the man's head. He just hoped that Mr. Jones would get to the hospital in time, and that Casey could be admitted in time…before Shredder and Farrah got away with murder. But now, they all had to deal with the realization that their worst fear came true, no matter how much they wished it wouldn't happen.

Oroku Saki and Farrah Rosenberg were now partners in crime.

* * *

 _"I wish I could've gotten here in time…but I was far too late."_ Farrah sobbed into the camera, standing on the docks and wiping away her crocodile tears. _"A young man named Casey Jones…h-he was fatally injured by a ghastly mutant…and I watched helplessly as the creature dragged him into the watery depths below… To Casey Jones' parents…I am so sorry for the loss of your son…"_

Donatello sat back against the couch in horror after hearing the story. Casey couldn't possibly be dead…he couldn't be! But he studied the scene behind Farrah Rosenberg, and he could see blood staining the boards of the dock. The thought of his friend possibly at the bottom of the ocean triggered pain in his wound, all from stress. Was it really true…that a mutant came and killed him? Something didn't feel right about any of it…

The genius turtle turned his head away when he saw Leo and Raph jump over the turnstiles and rush into the lair. As much as he hated to, he had to share the news with them. "G-Guys, the news…Casey's…"

"In the hospital undergoing surgery!" Raph barked, making sure to clear any worries that Casey was dead. "If Farrah's on there throwing out some sob story, she's lying! Casey's alive…j-just in critical condition…"

Michelangelo appeared out of the kitchen, having caught the broadcast and his brother's revelation, and hurriedly asked, "But if Casey wasn't hurt by a mutant…who hurt him?"

Leo narrowed his eyes and gave the hard truth. "Shredder hurt him." Seeing Donnie and Mikey's eyes widen, he went on, "It's what we feared…Shredder and Farrah have joined forces, and they tried to kill Casey and make it seem like a mutant did it."

Donnie finally had the missing puzzle pieces in his hands. The murder from a few days ago of those three people, and now the attack on Casey…everything made sense. He had his suspicions, but this finally confirmed it all. Why didn't he figure it out sooner? "I get it now…those three people weren't killed by mutants. Shredder and Farrah are killing innocent people and framing the murders on mutants to further Farrah's cause! And if they start attacking us, it would draw Karai out of hiding and force her to face Shredder!"

"Farrah attacked CASEY!?"

The Turtles turned and saw Cheyloe exiting the dojo with Splinter, having heard the news. Both glanced at the television, which still broadcasted Farrah using the waterworks to her advantage and drawing angry mutant-haters out.

"Farrah didn't attack him, but she was there watching when Shredder did it." Raph ground out. "If Casey doesn't pull through…"

"Where are April and Miwa?" Splinter questioned quietly.

"They're with Casey at the hospital until his dad arrives…they should be back soon." Leo replied, averting his eyes. "One thing I don't get…how would Farrah know about Casey, and why would Shredder take an interest in him?"

Recalling what happened concerning April, Cheyloe came to a dark conclusion. "You don't think…Mr. O'Neil had anything to do with this too, do you?"

No one answered, too distraught by the sudden question, especially Donnie. He couldn't wrap his head around the possibility that Mr. O'Neil would possibly call hits out on them just to make April come back. Would he actually be willing to sacrifice Casey, a fellow human, out of revenge for April rejecting his pleas to join the movement? Plus, Shredder and Farrah were willing to sacrifice people just to fuel the hatred towards mutants…none of it made sense. Were they all planning something bigger? Did they have a grand idea that would lead to their destruction, or the destruction of New York? The pain in his chest flared up again, this time from anger. It wouldn't stop…

…until Shredder and Farrah were dead.

When Leo and Raph went with Splinter to tell him more and assure him everyone else remained safe, Donatello seized the opportunity to pull Cheyloe aside and speak with her in the lab. Getting to the lab was easier said than done, as he halted a few times thanks to the flaring pain in his chest. He ignored the brunette offering to give him Ibuprofen in favor of asking a simple question.

"Cheyloe…I should've had you tell me sooner. I didn't think it was important, but with Casey hurt, it's of utmost importance." He closed the gap between them and tried to contain his frustration of the situation; he didn't want her to think he blamed her for any of it or that he would do anything stupid. He had to ask her, plain and simple, "…What are Farrah's powers?"

Cheyloe paled, swallowing hard, and wrung her hands together anxiously. "It's…well…I know this would be hard to believe, but it deals with metal. She can't manipulate metal, but…her nails, and most of her bones…they're comprised of metal. This is where it gets weird…she can extend her fingernails into miniature swords. That's how I got put in the hospital. She punctured my lung with those metal nails…"

Donnie gave a nod, but felt his anger rise at the thought of that lying, manipulative woman hurting one of the people he cared about most. But he wasn't done there. "You said that Sang guy had powers, too? What are they?"

"Well, you could say he could be even more dangerous than Farrah." The brunette admitted. "His powers involve…blood. By that, I mean controlling another person's body by manipulating the blood flow…like putting invisible strings on a puppet. Donnie, I might be wrong, but I think Sang restrained Casey so he could be delivered to Shredder and Farrah." She abruptly put her hand over her face and felt her shoulders shake. "…This is my fault. If they hadn't seen me on TV, they wouldn't have come here and-"

Right then, the genius turtle stopped her, wrapping his strong arms around her and shushing her. As much as his plastron continued to hurt, that didn't compare to the pain caused by their enemies, be it physical or emotional. "Don't you even blame yourself for what happened to Casey. We should've made him stay at the lair when this mess started, but I'm sure he'd refuse to be contained. Cheyloe, one way or another…we're going to stop Shredder and Farrah, and get our city back."

Cheyloe didn't offer a reply, but instead just leaned her head against his uninjured shoulder and breathed deeply, calming herself with the action and just knowing Donnie stood with her. "…I know. But where do we even start?"

The genius turtle offered a grin of reassurance as he held her up to face him. "I think we need to contact our old buddy, Kurtzman."

* * *

 **Well, how was that? Let's hope and pray that Casey survives the ordeal, because if Mr. Jones finds out who ratted his son out to his attackers, there's going to be a beatdown between dads. As you can tell, Donnie's got a few ideas up his sleeve, but will he be able to think rationally after so many stressful situations? Next chapter will involve a multiple kidnapping, the return of Kurtzman, and a showdown between the head of the Foot Clan and the girl he calls his daughter. Stay tuned!**


	42. Irrationality

**Author's Note: Hello, and welcome to a new chapter! Anyone wondering about Casey's fate, I assure you, it's revealed here! Meanwhile, because of the recent attacks, Donnie starts becoming less rational and pulls a stunt that could put his friends and family in danger. Then we have a confrontation between Shredder and Karai, where the latter makes a bold declaration against her false father, and Mr. Jones getting answers. Enjoy the read! Reviews are welcome!**

* * *

Chapter 42: Irrationality

 _"_ _So, you want info on Farrah Rosenberg? Funny you should be asking that…"_

Donatello narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line. "I take it you've been doing your own research?"

Kurtzman laughed over the phone at Donnie's question. After his conversation with Cheyloe, he decided to call the reporter and request getting a little dirt on the superhuman in question, hoping to break the public from her spell and save the city. When April and Karai returned, they gave news that Casey remained in critical condition, even flat-lining at one point before the doctors stabilized his vitals. That made Donnie even angrier at their foes than before, and he slowly started losing his clarity of thought. No one else seemed to pay any mind…except for two people.

 _"_ _Oh, I've been doing my research since she first spoke with the mayor. I was there when the city council scrambled to quell the panic in the city. Quick question: did you ever happen to hear her speech claiming her parents were killed by mutants?"_ Kurtzman asked curiously.

The genius turtle sighed and shook his head. "This is the first I've heard of it. If it's true, then I can see why she would go after the mutants here. Do you think otherwise?"

He could hear the reporter give a hum in response. _"I've looked into every possible report of a double-homicide in England around the time she was young. Let's see if I can pull it up again…"_ The sound of fingers hitting the keyboard came through to Donnie, until he heard Kurtzman shout in triumph. _"Here it is! The double-murder of Thomas and Fiona Rosenberg, approximately eighteen years ago! According to the police report, there weren't any reports of anything fitting the description of a mutant, or mutants. There wouldn't have been many witnesses because of how isolated they were; just a neighbor or two around."_

Donnie's eyes widened, and he didn't pay attention to a certain someone listening in. "That already tarnishes the credibility of her story! What else do you have!?"

 _"_ _Calm down, Donatello. All right, further into the report…it's strange, they couldn't find the murder weapon. The couple looked as though they were slashed to death, but there was no blood on any knives or other sort of sharp object. Even with all of that…their number one suspect was Farrah herself."_

"…Farrah was the number-one suspect? They couldn't find anything to convict her?"

 _"_ _Unfortunately, no. No murder weapon, but they found evidence of bloody footprints leading outside. Before they could interview her, she disappeared from the country until they just forgot about the murders all-together. A cold case."_ The reporter paused for a moment, until he continued, _"You stated that she's now allied herself with Oroku Saki? There's no telling what they'll do to the city if they seize full control over it…"_

"I won't let that happen, Kurtzman. No matter what it takes, they'll be stopped." Tapping his fingers on the desk to calm his nerves, without success, Donnie finally spoke, "Thanks again, Kurtzman…I'll keep in touch."

Once Kurtzman hung up the phone, Donnie leaned forward and rested his face in his hands. This proved a lot to take in, and only added to the other misfortunes happening since this idiotic anti-mutant movement. Shredder and Farrah teaming up, Mr. O'Neil turning on them, Casey on the cusp of life and death, his family and friends slowly falling apart…and now he wanted to fall apart, too. If they just let things keep going the way they were, who else would end up being killed to boost anti-mutant sentiment? What if New York became a totalitarian state, ruled by two murderers who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone? Thinking about it made him want to throw everything around in his lab and scream; why did he have to be so useless right now?

"Donnie?"

Donatello turned towards the lab doors and found Cheyloe holding a sandwich and a bag of chips. Right on cue, his stomach groaned in demand for nourishment, and he smiled sheepishly. The brunette grinned and graciously sat the food in front of him, then sat a cola can in front of him and popped it open. The turtle couldn't believe he'd been so focused on gathering information that he forgot to eat.

"Thanks…I've been needing this." Donnie eagerly took a bite of the sandwich and chewed loudly. He remembered that Chey remained in the lab, and quickly swallowed his food out of embarrassment. "Sorry…I skipped dinner. Please don't tell my brothers."

Cheyloe suddenly put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed them. "Your secret's safe with me."

Reality suddenly settled back in for him. The bites he took became slower, smaller, less frequent, and it didn't take long for the ever-observant Cheyloe to notice. Donnie already knew trying to hide it from her would be pointless; she would chip away until she got a confession. Spilling it was the only acceptable option. "…I wish I would heal faster. Even with everything we're coming across, we still don't know the full extent of their plans. I'm the one who can do the digging in, hack into computers to get what we need, but I can't even do that. I can't even put up a fight without worrying about aggravating my wound!"

The brunette, feeling his frustration, wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an attempt to quell his anger. "Donnie, I know, but it's going to take time. You can't rush the healing process, even with the mutagen medicine. We'll find out the rest of their plans with enough time…we just have to play it safe."

"And for how long, Cheyloe?" Donnie shot back, abruptly turning around and breaking out of her grasp. "What'll happen if we wait too long, huh? What's it going to take for all of us to wake up and get the info we need to stop them? How many more people have to die? How many more Caseys and Embrys have to happen before we-"

Once he saw her face fall, Donnie stopped and dropped his eyes to the ground. He forgot that she still wasn't fully over the issue with Embry and what happened to him in comparison, and she already felt like what happened to Casey was her fault, too. Sheesh, give him enough time and he would be as angry as Raph and Leo were. The genius turtle, as a way to apologize, rested his head against her abdomen and sighed. "…I'm sorry…I'm just so frustrated with it all…I feel like dead weight around here…"

Cheyloe wrapped her arms around him and kept him close. "…I know, Donnie. I know you want to be at full-function…but I'm not going to risk losing you again. If Shredder or Farrah one got their hands on you…"

She didn't have to finish that for him to imagine what she would do. "Well, if it makes you feel any better…I've been working on something for you."

Donnie pulled away and got up with a grunt, making his way to a metal container next to many scattered tools and other unfinished projects. Frowning over the various 'MIKEY STAY OUT' stickers on the lid, he unlocked it and pulled out a few objects, and the look of them alone sparked Chey's curiosity. Two of the objects appeared to be metal gloves with sensors on the palms, and two other objects appeared to be equipped for shoes. All of them were connected to a large belt.

"What in the world are those, Donnie?" Chey asked.

At first, Donnie didn't say anything; he just slipped the gloves on her hands without hesitation. "I've been working on this since we drove the Kraang back to Dimension X. It's an anti-gravity stealth pack! I know you don't have a desire to learn all the basics of ninjitsu, but you never know when you'll be forced into a mission." He casually picked her feet up one at a time and slipped the shoe pieces on before attaching the belt. "I couldn't perfect it before, but Fugitoid gave me some equipment from his underground lab during his last visit."

"Okay…so what do I do?"

Donnie grinned. "Just climb on the wall. Give it a go!"

Cheyloe couldn't help but hesitate, but she didn't want Donnie to think she didn't appreciate it. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the wall and turned the system on, watching it light up a neon-blue hue. She place one hand on the wall, then another, and then went with a foot and hoisted herself up. It registered a second later that she actually stuck to the wall; no falling off! Chey chuckled, then climbed higher until she reached the edge of the ceiling.

"Donnie, this is amazing! You're like King Midas, only with technology!"

 _Well, at least I can be of use in some ways._ Donnie saw a smile on her face that he hadn't seen in a long time, and it made his heart feel warm. "Just be careful with it. Blue means it's active, but if it turns red, it means it's overheating and will turn off! An easier way to remember is this: blue is glue, red is dead."

With that warning taken, the brunette climbed off the wall as quickly as she could before turning the equipment off. "This'll really help! Thank you so much, Donnie!"

"I'd still like to run some more tests on it, but I'm glad you like it." The genius turtle smiled.

Cheyloe took the gear off and put it back in its designated box before heading for the doors. She stopped for a moment and went back to Donnie, giving him a comforting gaze and whispering, "Donnie…we're gonna get through this. Whatever you do…don't go crazy trying to save everyone." Leaning forward, she gave Donnie a kiss near the edge of his mouth. "I'm spending the night in case you need anything."

Donnie blushed and put the tips of his fingers to his lips as Chey walked out. Thinking about what she said…it was true, but if they waited any longer, kept hidden, then more people would die just for political power. More people would end up like Embry-dead-or Casey-in critical condition. His eyes went over to the still-frozen Timothy; once all this madness ended, he would cure his friend once and for all. He then stared at his mask sitting idly on the edge of his desk…he hadn't worn it since the night Mozar injured him. Something clicked within him, and his hand instantly grabbed the mask. If everyone else wanted to sit around and do nothing while more people died, that was on them.

He would actually do something about it.

Tying the knot of the mask behind his head, Donnie formulated his grand plan...and went to see how much sedative he had in the cabinet.

* * *

"Mr. Jones?"

Arnold Jones looked up from his seat in the waiting room when the nurse called him. He lost count of how many hours he sat here waiting on news about Casey. He sent Angel to spend a few nights at a friend's house until they were sure he was in stable condition. He didn't know everything that happened, but he knew the basics: Casey got stabbed, some friend of his named Raphael called him about it, and then that April O'Neil and some other girl dragged his bloodied and wet son through the emergency room doors and in the hands of the doctors.

"Mr. Jones, your son is awake. He's not out of the woods yet, but he has enough strength to speak for a few moments." The nurse explained. "Would you like to see him?"

Arnold got up from his seat, silently cursing the early arthritis in his knees, and followed the nurse to Casey's room in the ICU. When he entered, it reminded him of an all-too-familiar scene. In his eyes, Casey was always a strong, quick-tempered, and energized kid…this wasn't his Casey. The Casey lying in bed with tubes and wires stuck to him looked weak, ready to shatter at any moment…just like when his wife was in the hospital, fighting a losing battle with cancer.

"Casey…" The man croaked, taking a seat next to his son and patting his hand. "Casey, it's Pops. Can ya say somethin'?"

Casey groaned and slowly opened his eyes, looking over to see his father. "…P-Pops…"

Arnold sniffed, wiping at his eyes with a calloused knuckle. "Oh Casey…who did this to ya? What kind 'a monster would do this to my boy? Was it a mutant, Case?"

The hockey player weakly shook his head. "…No. Not…not a mutant…" He breathed out and coughed, still feeling pain from the staples in his stomach. "…P-Pops…I…gotta tell you somethin'…'bout Raph…and April…"

"Casey…is it true Farrah Rosenberg's behind what happened to ya?"

After a moment, Casey gave a small nod. "Let me…tell ya everything…"

* * *

Donatello stared over the city, finding himself shocked that it changed so much since the night of the invasion.

If any of the others knew he was up here, they would surely kill him…but fortunately, he made sure they wouldn't notice. When everyone else gathered around for hot drinks, and when no one looked his way, he slipped powerful sleep medication into each of their cups, save his own. Once he knew they were down, he seized the opportunity to take the stealth bike and ride up to the surface. Now he found himself on the empty street facing his target destination.

Foot Headquarters.

The genius turtle knew what he was going to do was, well, stupid. He knew that he hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, and he certainly knew he wouldn't put up much of a fight against even the Foot Bots. But he continuously convinced himself that this had to be done, that he wouldn't just sit around like everyone else and wait for more death and destruction. All he had to do was hack a few computers and see what Shredder and Farrah were up to. In and out, simple as that. What could go wrong? Well, he didn't realize he wasn't alone as he entered through the unguarded door…

So far, nothing in the main halls, but he knew the risks once he got to the lowers levels leading to Baxter Stockman's lab. More than likely, Farrah and Sang accessed the lab more than once, and they had to have some valuable data on those computers. If not those, then maybe they had a phone laying around that he could swipe, or a tablet even. It wouldn't take long for Hamato Donatello to hack. He stopped when his plastron flared up again, making him clench at his bandages. Just as long as the enemy didn't see him, he wouldn't be targeted…he had to keep moving.

A little further down…no signs of Bebop or Rocksteady or Tiger Claw. Once he managed to sneak down further, he finally reached Baxter's lab, seeing the familiar globe of mutagen suspended above and the giant terrariums littered across the walls. He still remembered when he saw Splinter trapped in those, behaving like a feral rat, and the image of Karai strapped to a metal table steadily being fed brain worms through a crude helmet. Staying above, he saw Farrah herself below at the computers, typing away on a handheld planner before setting it down and leaving. Sheesh, this was too easy. Once he knew she was gone, he steadily climbed down and found himself at the computers. He made a mental note to hide the planner in his bandages before starting.

"All right, let's see what I can dig up." Donnie muttered to himself. As he stuck a flash drive into the console and began typing away, he suddenly found himself being forcefully turned around to face someone. "What the…C-Cheyloe!? What are you doing here!?"

The look on her face told him he shouldn't have asked, and judging from the gear she had on-the gear he gave her-she'd been following him for a while. "That's what I'd like to know concerning you, Donnie! I certainly didn't expect you to drug everyone's tea and sneak out!"

"How'd you know I drugged the tea?" Donnie asked, bewildered. "I-It was just some sleeping pills…"

"They have an odor I can detect, you know." Chey deadpanned. "Don't even bother putting up a fight; I already called Splinter. Yeah, he got suspicious about the drinks, too."

Paling at the thought of Sensei knowing, Donnie's energy drained. What was he thinking? Why couldn't he have foreseen that somebody would catch on? Maybe he could find a way to talk her into halting his father's arrival. "Cheyloe, I-"

Both of them found themselves violently tased by an unknown assailant. Donatello collapsed over the console, watching Cheyloe hit the floor as he began fading out of consciousness. He knew he heard high-pitched, snorting laughter that could've only come from a certain mutant warthog, but wondered why he wasn't caught earlier by him or any of the others. The answer became obvious…they LET him sneak past them, just to lay out the trap.

It was too easy.

* * *

Groggy auburn eyes opened up with a groan, staring up at an endless ceiling above. Donatello blinked a few times until it registered that this wasn't the lair or even the streets. The genius turtle tried lifting his arms up, but suddenly realized his arms, legs, and the middle of his plastron were secured down by metallic straps, and that he lay on a frigid, metal table. Hissing when the straps irritated his bandaged wound, he glanced over and found Cheyloe strapped to a similar table, only she looked to be awake longer than he had. Great, both of them were strapped down inside Baxter's lab, and now…now Splinter was on his way into a death trap.

"Cheyloe? A-Are you okay?" Donnie asked hurriedly.

The brunette turned to him and nodded. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine…are you?"

Donnie opened his mouth to answer, but halted when he saw that familiar figure exit from the shadows. A lump found a home in his throat and rendered him unable to speak as the metal-clad figure came to stand before them…Shredder. Right behind him trailed Tiger Claw, Bebop, and Rocksteady; Donnie shot a glare at the warthog for being tasered. However, the two suspected the fifth would arrive very soon, and they were correct when that steely-eyed, cinnamon-haired woman emerged from the walkway outside the glass prisons.

Farrah smirked, strolling up to Cheyloe, and ran the back of her nail against the brunette's soft cheek. "Hello, Cheyloe…it's been over two years."

Chey gritted her teeth and glared daggers. "Not long enough. Still using gallons of makeup on your face, huh? You say you hate people, yet you fight to blend in…"

Farrah chuckled deeply, despite the irritation underneath her stone-cold mask. "I admit to being a little vain…but you're one to talk. You grew your bangs out to hide those scars, right? I suppose Syzygy gave you those before his untimely demise. Tell me…was it worth killing a fellow superhuman?"

"I don't have to answer that, you child murderer!" The brunette spat viciously. "Superhuman or not, you'll kill ANYONE who threatens your grabs for power!"

The older woman just chuckled once again, allowing her nail to go a little deeper into Cheyloe's skin, leaving a shallow cut and blebs of blood on her cheek. "Syzygy killed him, not I…all I did was tell him to get rid of the problem to all superhumans."

 _Problem? Did she actually call Embry a 'problem'?_ Donnie glanced over at the two women, ready to spew all his venom at Rosenberg, but found his head forcibly turned to face Oroku Saki himself. "I know what you did to Casey, Shredder." The turtle ground out. "…There's no way I'm going to let you get away with that! All this to blackmail Karai!?"

Shredder seemingly ignored him, favoring tracing the tips of his gauntlet over the bandages covering the turtle's plastron. "It's hard to believe you survived an injury like this…you are supposed to be the weakest of the four." He noticed Donnie wince at being called weak, and smirked under his mask. "It must be painful to live with…but I can offer peace. I only demand one thing in return…where is my daughter?"

Donnie shook his head, keeping his eyes narrowed in determination; not even those gauntlet claws getting closer shook him up. "She's NOT your daughter…and I'll be dead before I tell you where she is."

"I can gladly arrange that, Turtle. However…I believe a better incentive is needed."

With the snap of his fingers, another door opened nearby. Rahzar and Fishface emerged from an adjacent hall, smirking…and the reason why came to light when none-other than Splinter trailed behind them. The rat had his hands tied behind his back, and a metal collar attached to a chain Rahzar held wrapped itself tightly around his neck. Donnie and Cheyloe stared in horror; how could Splinter be captured like this? He could take down those mutants in a pinch! Then came the answer to that question in the form of Sang entering last. The moment Splinter saw his son and Cheyloe, he instantly tried to dart towards them, but Sang only had to lift an arm to make the rat seize and fall to his knees.

"Sensei!" Donnie cried, frantically trying to break through his bonds.

Sang snickered. "The rat always comes running for his children, doesn't he? He appeared on Shredder's doorstep, taking down several Foot Bots…I let him get far enough before ending his crusade. Such a dutiful father, no?"

"Now, let us try this again." Shredder hovered over Donatello, now seeing fear clouding the turtle's eyes. He activated the blades in his gauntlet, causing them to shoot down and pierce the table, right next to Donnie's head. Ignoring the scream Chey let out, he once again interrogated, "Where is MY Karai?"

"Donatello, do not tell him anything!" Splinter pleaded, straining to lift his head under Sang's control. "Do not let him strike fear in you!"

Donnie kept silent, which stirred the pot of anger in Shredder even more. However, he wouldn't show it outright; fear was best brought about with coldness and calculation, after all. That's when the armor-clad ninja turned his head and called, "Stockman…bring the specimen here."

Without hesitation, the disgusting fly mutant scuttled forward and handed Shredder a pair of surgical tongs. Donnie's eyes immediately went to what the tongs held, and his breath caught in his throat. It was a brain worm. A wriggling, hissing, slimy brain worm. The genius turtle fought the urge to vomit all over himself and kept his eyes trained on the sickening creature as Shredder held it above him. He knew what he was going to do…he was going to use that thing to…

"If you will not speak…I'll make it to where you will WILLINGLY tell me." The armored ninja rumbled.

Donnie felt his breathing become labored as the creature came closer and closer to his face. Everything around him started spinning, his stomach flip-flopped, and a scream became trapped in his throat. The sounds of Cheyloe screaming and Splinter trying to fight back merged into incoherent garbling; all he could see was that worm opening its jaws in preparation for digging through his skull…into his brain…taking his free will…he couldn't take it. He opened his mouth to get the scream out, but nothing came; nothing but ragged breaths. He didn't even realize he started violently thrashing his head around until Shredder stopped him by forcefully pressing on his healing wound. The last thought that went through his mind were apologies to his friends and family for being so stupid-

A shot of yellow acid hit the worm and tongs, making them fly into the wall and fall to the floor. Everyone in the lab stopped, turning to see someone landing on the grate underneath the giant globe of mutagen. Someone with slithering snakes for arms and a rage-filled glare.

"…Karai." Shredder breathed out. "You've returned."

Karai hissed and narrowed her green eyes. This slime still deluded himself into thinking she'd go running back to him? "Let them GO, Shredder. If you want a fight, I'll give you one."

"I do not wish to fight you, daughter." Shredder insisted. "I'm only doing this because I love you. You've been tainted by Hamato Yoshi and his followers long enough. If you come back, Stockman and Rosenberg can cure you of this…" He gestured his hand at her serpent arms, green eyes, and long fangs. "…disease."

"Why should I have ANY love for the man who murdered my mother!?" The kunoichi screamed as her snake arms hissed dangerously. Shredder didn't flinch, but she didn't expect him to, so she crept closer despite her father's silent protests. "You killed her in cold blood, you stole me from my real father, raised me as your personal weapon, and now you're killing innocent people just to scare me into returning! It won't be long until I'M next, will it, since you think I'm _diseased_!?"

This accusation sent Shredder over the edge. "Why can't you accept that I'm doing all this for you, Karai!?"

The answer she gave came in the form of her fully shifting into her serpentine form, startling both Farrah and Sang in the background. Even Donnie, Cheyloe, and Splinter found themselves taken aback. The snake stared straight ahead at the Shredder, eyes filled with rage, and gave her retort to that in a deafening screech.

"My name is MIWA!"

No sooner did she say that did several other figures come crashing down behind her. Karai-Miwa-wasn't so foolish to go alone like last time. This time, unlike her false father, she took the smart approach and called for help in the form of the Mutanimals, Anna, and Kaitlyn, and they immediately charged. Splinter, thanks in part to the startled Sang losing concentration, managed to break free of the superhuman's control and send a palm to his chest. Once the blood-manipulator fell to the ground, the fight officially began, and the rat rushed to free his son and Cheyloe. Unfortunately for him, he got noticed while Shredder engaged in one-on-one combat with Karai, and the armored ninja wasn't about to let him attempt a rescue…

"Where do you think YOU'RE going, Yoshi!?"

Splinter growled and turned, just in time to intercept the bladed gauntlet belonging to Shredder. The rat seized a free moment to glance at his daughter and give her a nod. For the serpent, that meant for her to go save the captives while he held Shredder off. As much as she wanted to fight Shredder herself and melt the rest of his face clean off his skull, she knew what her last attempt resulted in. Karai slithered to the tables and grabbed the straps restraining Donatello and Cheyloe, yanking them off with incredible force.

In her rush to get them free, she didn't pay notice to Farrah, wearing a sinister grin, raising up her hand and her now-three-foot-long nails to literally stab Karai in the back. Someone else noticed, however, and a flash of flames appeared in front of the woman. Farrah glared at the perpetrator, Chey, before growling loud and using her metallic nails to ferociously cut her arms and chest.

"I suppose I'll just have to finish Syzygy's job for him…" Farrah spoke in a breathy voice, laughing for a moment as Chey began bleeding. "Then I'll put the poor turtle out of his misery, too!"

Unbeknownst to Cheyloe, Donnie came even more prepared than she realized. The turtle swiftly pulled a smoke bomb from inside his shell and threw it in Farrah's face with a satisfying black burst. A smirk came on his lips until he hunched over from the pain in his plastron, alerting Cheyloe and causing her to hold him up. They had to get out of here while the fight kept on, but that was the last thing Farrah wanted.

"Sang, stop them!"

As Sang attempted to seize control over the fleeing pair, Anna took notice and put her fingertips to her head. "Oh no, you don't!" Waving her hand, she sent the young man flying into the wall with a THUD.

Stockman, huddled in the background, pressed a button that opened several other doors. Emerging from them were Foot Bots, MOUSERS, and even additional Shredder mutants ready to attack. The Foot had no intentions of letting their foes leave alive, and Donnie knew that. All because he thought his family wasn't doing enough…all because he didn't want them to see him as useless.

"Anna, Kaitlyn, get them out of here!" Slash roared, tackling the giant four-armed Shredder mutant. "We'll keep 'em busy!"

Hesitant at first, the two superhuman women knew they couldn't talk the Mutanimal leader out of this: they intended to go down just to protect their friends. They wasted no time in rounding up Splinter, Karai, Donatello, and Cheyloe, and then rushed them to the lab exit as Splinter threw down a smoke bomb of his own. As they fled the scene, they could hear the fading sounds of the Mutanimals being shoved to the ground and restrained…

"Cheyloe, you're bleeding!" Anna panicked. "We need to get you treated right now!"

"Don't worry about me!" Cheyloe gritted out. "Let's get back to the lair…I need to check Donnie's wounds and have a talk with him."

Donatello grimaced, not just from that declaration, but from knowing he literally drugged his family so he could sneak out…and that the Mutanimals were captured because of him. The question was…what would he mess up next?

* * *

 _At the hospital…_

Arnold Jones sat back in his chair feeling, to put it lightly, overwhelmed. With the little strength he had right now, Casey confessed to him everything that went on for about two years during times he claimed to be 'studying' with April O'Neil. He told his father of meeting the Turtles, his encounters with the Foot, Kraang, and Purple Dragons, what happened to them during the invasion, April being half-Kraang, and the identity of his attacker. What floored Mr. Jones the most wasn't the fact that Farrah Rosenberg was in on the attack, but that one of the mutants she tried to demonize on live television was his son's best friend and helped save his life.

"C-Casey…" The man started, stuttering and rubbing at his knuckles. "I-I wanna talk with this Raphael an' th' rest of 'em."

Casey's eyes widened. "D-Dad, wait…th-they won't…"

"I wanna thank 'em for saving yer life, Case. And I wanna tell 'em that Farrah an' th' rest of those anti-mutant goons can kiss my ass. None of 'em are gonna hurt MY kid an' get away with it."

Arnold got up from his chair, but not before patting his son's hand as a way of telling him goodnight. This confused Casey, and he coughed again before asking, "D-Dad…wh-where're ya goin'…?"

The man only snorted, glancing over his shoulder and stating, "I'm gonna have a talk with Kirby O'Neil."

* * *

"How could you be so reckless!?"

"Are you INSANE, dude!?"

"Ya drugged us and pulled this crap!?"

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done!"

Donatello kept his head down as he sat on the couch and took the barrage of words from everyone; they literally formed a line in front of him. Thanks to the combined efforts of Splinter and Anna, the sleep medication wore off faster and the others woke up to receive news of what happened. Raph and April both smacked him upside the head and gave him an earful, followed by Leo and Mikey berating him for being uncharacteristically careless. Donnie could take that…what he couldn't take was the disappointed glare from Splinter, the Mutanimals being held prisoner, and the fact that Cheyloe hadn't spoken to him all the way back to the lair. Just those two things were enough to make him break inside.

"Why would you even pull something like this!?" Leo shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "Why would you try to break into Foot Headquarters alone and vulnerable!?"

Donnie finally snapped. "Well, excuse me that I don't want to sit on my fat butt and let more people die because I don't want to get answers! You know as well as I do that Farrah's got something bigger going on behind the scenes, and she and Shredder won't stop killing people until they get what they want!"

"That still doesn't excuse ya from goin' in there and gettin' th' Mutanimals captured!" Raph retorted, ignoring the guilt on his brother's face. "And don't think we don't care about th' people above; we're waitin' for ya to heal!"

"And I'm not healing fast enough! The longer I have to heal, the more people will die!" The genius turtle argued further. "None of you can hack into computers if your life depended on it! I'm the only one who can hack Farrah's planner and Stockman's files!"

"We could've at least tried, bro!" Mikey insisted, feeling pretty angry despite his usual 'go with the flow' attitude. "We'd fight them, but we can't fight without you!"

Splinter stepped forward, frowning and glaring. "I would like answers as well, Donatello. I am highly disappointed in you, my son." He caught Donnie averting his eyes, but knew he couldn't let up. "You drugged your family, broke in alone, and now the Mutanimals are captured. Why would you behave in this way, my son?"

"I'm just…" Donnie clenched his fists and bit his lip until he finally slammed them onto the couch cushions. "I'm so tired of being USELESS!" The others stepped back by his sudden outburst, and it just made him even angrier. "I'm not healing fast enough, and more people are going to end up like Casey and Embry because the team is broken and I can't make this wound magically go away! I can't even master that stupid Healing Hands technique to help! And now because of my blatant stupidity, the Mutanimals are prisoners, along with many other mutants in the future!"

Once Donnie was left panting, everyone could see the frustration flooding out of him. While Splinter still felt disappointed for his son's actions, he felt ashamed for not seeing this sooner. Of course, if this built up for a while, the combination of Mr. O'Neil's betrayal and the attack on Casey served as the final straw. He couldn't blame his son for being angry, but that didn't mean his actions were to be excused.

"Donatello…we want to save the people of New York any way we can…but we cannot do it without you. It is as you said: our team needs to be complete. I know that you had no intention for the Mutanimals to be captured; Miwa spoke with me and has taken responsibility for that." With everyone staring at the rat, he let out a deep sigh and wrapped his son in an embrace. "…I am just so happy Shredder did not take you from us, Donatello. Now…I believe there is someone else you should speak to."

With a slow nod, Donnie got up from the couch and headed for the lab. Opening the door, he found Cheyloe sitting on the cot in the corner, fiddling with the bandages on her arms and chest. She didn't even look up when the door opened or when he stepped forward, and Donnie knew he deserved it. That didn't make it hurt any less, however…

"…Cheyloe?" Donnie took a seat next to her and tried to smile, but it instantly faltered. "Cheyloe…I was pretty stupid tonight, wasn't I? I mean…I put everybody in danger just because I've been impatient and insecure. Not like me, right?" He looked at her, and she still wouldn't look at him, let alone make a sound. "C-Chey, listen…I don't know how many times I can say sorry, but I'll say it as many times as it takes…just please…talk to me."

Still nothing. Donnie began to panic. "C-Cheyloe, I'm sorry! I was so afraid of feeling useless that I broke your trust and the trust of everyone else! If I hadn't been so stupid, you wouldn't have gotten hurt and the Mutanimals wouldn't be captured! I just…" He suddenly got up and went for the lab doors. "I'll just go…I'll leave you alone now."

Right as he started walking away, a trembling hand grabbed hold of his and pulled him back. To his surprise, Cheyloe looked up at him with tears streaking her cheeks. Donnie sat back down, just in time for the brunette to wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his shoulder.

"D-Don't go…" She silently pleaded. "…I-I'm not mad anymore, Donnie…I was just so scared. I-I thought…I thought I would lose you again…"

Donnie just pulled her closer, ignoring his ever-present pain, and nuzzled her head with his snout. "…I shouldn't have done all that to you…after that talk, I still went and pulled that stunt. Can you…ever forgive me?"

He could feel the brunette nod into his shoulder. "…I forgave you the moment we got out alive." Once she started sniffling and hiccupping, he could hear her add, "…We'll get them back…I know we will…"

The two suddenly looked up to see everyone else watching them. Donnie's first thought was to tell them to get out of his lab, but he didn't have the desire to even do that. "…Come to yell at me more?"

"Donnie…" April spoke, no longer angry. "Just promise us that you won't do anything like that again…and that you'll wait until you've healed enough to fight."

Donnie let out a small sigh, still not letting the brunette go. "You don't have to tell me twice. Sensei, if you have to ground me, just do it…I know I deserve it after what I pulled."

The rat closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Once you are fully healed and our enemies are dealt with, expect several rounds of randori. For now, my son, just focus on your recovery…and apart from your laptop, you are forbidden from working in the lab for a month."

As much as he wanted to protest, Donnie knew better. "…I understand, Sensei."

But there was one thing he had to do, and he knew he could accomplish it with his laptop…he would decode the true agenda of Farrah Rosenberg.

* * *

 **So, how was that? The good news is, Casey's alive, and Donnie's learned his lesson. The bad news is now the Mutanimals are captured, tension's back in the family, and we still don't know Farrah's true plan. In our next chapter, the Turtles'll celebrate their eighteenth mutation day, but it's hard to say whether or not the celebration will be a happy one. We'll also finally get a confrontation between Mr. Jones and Mr. O'Neil, the former attempting to open the latter's eyes. Also expect more Donnie and Chey moments and, in case you haven't caught on yet, some growing Raph and April moments. As always, stay tuned!**


	43. A Light in the Darkness

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I got a case of writer's block and struggled a little with this chapter, but now I have it done! I want to tell you that there will be just a few more chapters before this story ends. However, I plan on doing a sequel to the story that takes place a few years after the end! I'm not going to give away any spoilers, so you'll just have to sit tight! Be sure to read and review, and please don't send flames.**

 **Summary: As the Turtles celebrate their 18th Mutation Day, Donatello discovers Farrah Rosenberg's master plan. Allies are rescued, and a certain man finally has the scales taken off his eyes.**

* * *

Chapter 43: A Light in the Dark

 _"_ _Citizens of New York…I must inform you, for your safety, that the mutant threat grows even stronger."_ The face of Farrah Rosenberg, her jaw and neck coated with fresh bandages and burn ointment, addressed through the multiple screens across the streets. _"I myself, just a few days ago, came under attack thanks to these creatures. Fortunately, I only came away with a few burns…but I must tell you that they are no longer playing around. The mutant threats are being led by four, in particular. Four brothers…turtles. And they are not alone."_

While some people stopped on the sidewalk to watch the broadcast, others took to the streets. Riots were beginning to pop up everywhere in New York, and rumors went around that the movement would go global. Police forces wore themselves thin arresting people for vandalism and assault. In front of City Hall, more anti-mutant protestors started calling for much more extreme measures. Detaining mutants wasn't enough…they wanted them all DEAD. The murders of a few more people and the presumed death of Casey Jones made them all snap, and many went to the streets to search for and kill any mutants they found.

 _"_ _These turtles have allies; some are mutants that have human appearances. Fortunately for us, my assistant Luc and his task force have apprehended a group of mutants calling themselves the Mighty Mutanimals. We are actively questioning them on the whereabouts of these turtles, and we will update you on any new information we come across. It is time to stop sitting on the sidelines…we must fight and take back this beloved city. Stay safe, New York…I have faith in all of you."_

The protestors raged on, holding up signs and threatening the few pro-mutant people left to stand up. One of those attending the anti-mutant rally of the day was Kirby O'Neil. While he wasn't as loud as the others, he still held up a sign and chanted the mantra spewing venom at the mutants. In his eagerness to be part of this crowd, he didn't realize it until the last second when a rugged hand grabbed him by the collar and forcibly dragged him towards an alleyway.

"Hey, wait, what're you-Get your hands off of me!" Kirby turned angrily to face his assailant, but immediately paled when he saw who it was. "A-Arnold Jones? Arnold, I-I'm so sorry about what happened to Casey-"

"Casey's ALIVE, ya sad excuse fer a man!" Arnold Sr. bellowed. "He's in th' hospital, but it's better than bein' dead. Course, he wouldn't be in th' hospital if ya didn't run yer MOUTH!"

Kirby blinked his eyes and processed the news. "C-Casey's alive? But Farrah said mutants killed him and dragged him underwater…"

Arnold snorted, still holding the man by the collar and growling, "He told me everything. He told me some guy named Shredder stabbed 'im in th' stomach, an' that Farrah planned it all out! He wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for th' Turtles!"

The redheaded man felt everything jumbling around in his head. Arnold Jones wouldn't have a reason to lie about his son's fate, but he couldn't process the man defending the mutants. "…That can't be right. People only get hurt because of the Turtles…and mutants HAD to be the ones to murder those three people! Why would Farrah lie about it!?"

The burly man took a deep breath and let go of the fellow father. Rage still resided in his features, but not as intensely as before. From one dad to another, he knew the one thing that could possibly get through to O'Neil and keep him from sinking further into the madness. "Believe what ya want, but let me tell ya somethin', O'Neil." Arnold took a step closer and closed the space between him and Kirby. "They ain't gonna make an exception wit' April. It's not gonna matter if yer wit' these maniacs an' she's yer kid. Once they find out she's half-alien…they're gonna kill her. An' since yer wit' all th' anti-mutant freaks, it's gonna be easier ta find 'er."

Seeing Kirby stand silent, Arnold sighed and turned to go back home; Angel was probably worried. "Think about what I'm tellin' ya, O'Neil. Trust me…my kids are all I got left, too. But I'm not gonna let 'em die 'cause I wanna blame th' wrong people."

Arnold Jones disappeared into the night, and Kirby stood mulling over his warnings. Why wouldn't he understand the dangers mutants posed? But then…why would Farrah lie about Casey being killed by mutants? Maybe she didn't know Casey survived, or maybe she did know and still reported him being dead. Still, nothing good came from being around them, especially those Turtles. They were the same Turtles who mutated him into a bat and left him feral, flying around the streets of New York like a mindless transient. They let him remain captured by the Kraang for who knows how many months. They almost let April die from mutant snake venom. They brought danger because of their association with a long-thought-dead ninja clan and power-hungry aliens!

And yet, they were the same Turtles who kept April safe. Many of the times April got hurt, it was because of her putting herself on the scene of action, trying to better herself and get herself stronger. They, particularly Donatello, cured him of his mutation, allowing him to be with his daughter again. Donatello rescued him from the Kraang stronghold, and he and his brothers saved the city more than once. They rescued him and the other New Yorkers from Dimension X, they stopped the Triceratons from destroying the planet, even though it almost cost Donatello his life. He knew deep down, they were still keeping April safe, and they saved Casey's life. Then it dawned on him that when he joined this movement, he didn't even take into consideration April's half-Kraang heritage; she qualified as a mutant. Because of him…Casey almost died at the hands of Shredder and Farrah, the Turtles were an easier target, and if these people discovered his daughter's powers, they would kill her.

The sign he held slid out of his grasp, and the chanting of people behind him drowned out in his own anguished thoughts.

"…W-What have I done?"

* * *

Donatello sat on the couch and ignored the latest episode of "Chris Bradford's 2 Ruff Krew", favoring listening to the others planning a rescue of the Mutanimals. He would've been included in, but aside from his injuries, he was still grounded thanks to his stunt that resulted in the Mutanimals' capture. Karai insisted on taking the blame for that, but he knew well it was all his fault. Sighing, the genius turtle kept his head down and continued with his silent eavesdropping. So much for trying to prove he wasn't a liability…

"We all know Foot Headquarters and Baxter's lab are going to be heavily guarded since last time, so we have to find a way to knock out everyone inside." Leonardo looked up from the crudely-drawn map on the table and glanced over to the couch. "Donnie, do you have anything that could work?"

Donnie glanced over his shoulder for a split-second, then dropped his head down again. "…Why would you want MY input? I got them captured. Besides, I'm still grounded, remember?"

Karai frowned. "Donatello, would you stop with the self-loathing? You shouldn't be blaming yourself, I was-"

"Donnie, just because of what happened doesn't mean we don't want your input." Leo huffed, setting a map piece down and walking over to his brother. He sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, ignoring Donnie's attempts to shrug it off. "Listen, Donnie, I get why you did what you did…look at the dumb stuff I did when we were at April's farmhouse! I know you think we're still mad at you, but we're not; you want to make things right…"

"If you're trying to lift my spirits, it's not working, Leo." Donnie huffed, staring back at the floor and wringing his hands. "I won't feel better until the Mutanimals are free. You guys won't, either."

By 'you guys', everyone knew he meant Raphael. The hotheaded turtle still felt sore knowing Slash and the other Mutanimals were still prisoners, possibly even guinea pigs, and hadn't spoken to Donnie after chewing him out. Donnie couldn't blame him, though; he'd be pretty steamed if one of his best friends got captured, too. He noticed Raph give him a three-second glance before turning away in a huff, worsening the genius turtle's guilt. Leo chose to ignore this and get back onto the main topic: figuring out how to free the Mutanimals without getting killed by the Foot or Farrah and Sang.

Michelangelo didn't like the tension coming back into their home. While he knew Donnie made a dumb move, he also knew his _brother_ acted out of frustration and desperation, thus forgiving his brother fairly quickly. Just like the others, though, he worried for the Mutanimals; was Leatherhead okay? But he felt confident that they could rescue their friends, just like they always did…unless Shredder decided to put brain worms in them. As he listened in to Leo getting back to the plan of action, his eyes wandered over to the nearby calendar on the wall and…

Whoa…their Mutation Day was _tomorrow_! They'd be turning eighteen! And that gave him an idea to lift their spirits…

The turtle in orange made sure everyone else remained engrossed in their plans as he sent two text messages.

* * *

Slash sat alone in his cell, staring vacantly at the tile floor before looking out the glass separating him from freedom. Fresh cuts littered his arms and tore his bandages to shreds, and his body still ached from a brutal beating he received from…himself. That Sang guy, or whatever his name was, decided to play a little game called 'Quit Hitting Yourself' involving turning him into a puppet and making his own fists connect with his body. The cuts came from that witch Farrah and those freaky nails of hers. Sadly, he received a light punishment compared to the others. Pete got hit with pouring water while he was strapped to a table to make him cave, but the poor bird had some strong will not to reveal where the Turtles were. Leatherhead got electrocuted several times, and he could still see him twitching in his cell. Now, they were getting ready to perform a 'brain probe' on Rockwell, hoping to find something in his memories.

No matter what happened, they couldn't afford to break down…

"Leatherhead…how're you holdin' up?" Slash asked wearily.

The gator glanced up from his place on the floor and grunted, fighting the uncontrollable twitching in his muscles. "I've…had worse. Did they…did they take Dr. Rockwell into the room?"

"Not yet…but they're gettin' it ready." The giant turtle growled. He glanced over to another cell and saw Pigeon Pete still coughing like he was drowning. The poor guy…no, all of them needed medical attention. "We gotta find a way outta here. If we don't, they're gonna kill us."

Leatherhead got to his feet and leaned against the glass door. "The Turtles will get us out…we must have faith in them, Slash."

Slash sighed and leaned against the wall. Easier said than done when they were already trapped here for days. No food to eat, hardly anything to drink except minimal water, nothing comfortable in the cells, and those Foot goons tapping on the glass like they were zoo animals on display…it all made him ill. Nothing could make him forgive the Foot, or that Farrah woman, not even his deathbed; they were all pure evil. He thought the Kraang were bad, but even they didn't compare to the foul that came from the Foot Clan. If they didn't find a way out, they would become casualties alongside the innocent humans. As much as the people above hated mutants, they didn't deserve to die for a show…

The sound of hands sliding on glass brought him out of his stupor, and he expected it to be another Foot freak wanting to poke fun at him. Growling, Slash readied his throbbing fist to strike the glass, only to find not a Foot mutant, but…

"…Michelangelo?"

Mikey hung upside-down on the glass door like a lizard and gave the giant turtle a grin and wave before hopping down. He switched over to his serious game face and pulled a small knife from his wrist wrappings, using it to cut into the glass and make an opening. Without making a sound and ignoring the flabbergasted look on Slash's face, the freckled turtle pulled the glass out and leaned it on the adjacent wall.

"We're bustin' you out, Slash-man!" Mikey beamed, holding his hand out for his friend to grab.

"W-We?" Slash sputtered, slowly climbing out. "What do you-Why'd you break in alone!?"

A chuckle came from behind the freckled turtle. "We weren't going to let Mikey come alone. The others would kill us!"

From behind Michelangelo emerged none-other than Anna and Kaitlyn. The former dashed over to the control panel to open the glass doors, while the latter helped Slash to his feet. After Mikey sent them text messages, the two superhumans met up with him near Foot Headquarters and learned of the plan he had. They all agreed it was best Cheyloe didn't come along, as she still felt shaken up by the encounter with Farrah. True, Mikey's plan was, to put it bluntly, crazy, but the freckled turtle came prepared with the necessary supplies: sleeping gas bombs Donnie had been working on, spray to uncover hidden trip wires, and a knife strong enough to cut through glass.

Watching all those _Mission: Impossible_ movies on TV finally paid off.

The glass doors slid open, and Leatherhead and Pigeon Pete weakly crawled out. Anna glanced around the several cages, and found Rockwell strapped to a gurney in one of them. She brought out a knife she borrowed from Kaitlyn's cutlery set and hastily cut the leather straps on the gurney, then went to pull the almost-comatose chimp off to a standing position. He would be like this for a while, considering the captors gave him strong sedatives. The first step was done…now they had to actually get out before the sleep gas wore off, or in case Sang lurked nearby.

"Do the…do the others know you're here?" Leatherhead breathed out, leaning on the now-elated Michelangelo.

The orange-masked turtle shook his head. "No, I'm gonna surprise 'em! What better Mutation Day present than to have you guys free?"

"You should've…you should've had them come with you." Slash grunted and held his side before giving a grateful nod. "…But thank you, Michelangelo. We're in your debt."

As the group slowly headed out, they abruptly stopped when someone walked in their direction. Baxter Stockman, aka Stockman-Fly, stopped dead in his tracks, holding a candy bar before it slid out of his good hand. All of them silently stared at each other for a good minute, but the fly mutant suddenly made a move for the alarm…until he found himself caught by the wings by Kaitlyn. He tried desperately to cry for help, but found his mouths forcibly covered up with a firm hand.

"Rule number one…don't squeal, Fly-Boy."

Stockman could only gulp as he saw the superhuman's fist connect with his cranium, making him see stars before blacking out.

* * *

"Donnie, what're you doing on your laptop?"

Donatello looked up from the bed and saw Leo standing at the door, holding a plate of leftover pizza. Looking at the clock, he realized he missed the dinner call for the second night in a row. As much of a bad habit it was, he was so close to cracking the secrets in Farrah's planner. He also knew Leo might admonish him for being on his laptop, but at least he wasn't in the lab, right? "Thanks for brining dinner, Leo. And no, I'm not sneaking lab work…I'm still trying to crack this stupid planner. I took out the memory card, but Farrah must want all her stuff as secure as possible."

"Sensei may not see it that way." The blue-masked turtle noted, sitting the pizza on the nightstand. "He's already miffed about Mikey sneaking out without telling anybody. Weird that he'd go out of the lair just to call and check on Cheyloe and the others."

"Speaking of Cheyloe, she's invited all of us over to her place for something." Donnie stated nonchalantly, still typing away. "It may just be for some tea, but she said something about a surprise. What she means by surprise, I don't know…"

Leo gave some thought to that. Due to the recent tension, he figured she'd only invite one or two of them at a time over to draw away suspicion. Inviting all of them over seemed to overdo it, especially after Donnie's 'ingenious' stunt…unless they had something planned that needed the whole family's cooperation. Come to think of it, since discussing their plans for rescuing the Mutanimals yesterday, Mikey had been acting pretty weird right in the middle of it. He disappeared for a while during that time, then started acting secretive when he returned, ignoring Splinter's harsh lecture about leaving without notice. What was he up to, exactly?

"I have a feeling Mikey knows…but maybe we can let him be brave enough to spill the beans himself." Leo suggested before darting his eyes to the laptop. "Whoa, how much does Farrah want to protect this stuff? How long have you been at this?"

Donnie didn't even blink. "Since Cheyloe and I were rescued from Foot Headquarters." When he typed a few more keys, his computer suddenly beeped, followed by a folder opening up and several files appearing on the screen. A gap-toothed grin suddenly appeared on his face and he shouted, "I did it…I'm IN! I finally cracked it! I-" When he opened one of the files and scanned the information, his grin melted away into an expression of pure horror. "Oh no…"

Leo leaned forward and tried to make heads and tails of the information. "What is this, Donnie? Are these research files?"

"Not just that…" Donnie ignored everyone else suddenly entering the room and Splinter readying to scold him for being on his laptop. "This is part of Farrah's plan…she's-"

"Tell us later, dude!" Mikey suddenly lifted the laptop from Donnie's lap and pulled him out of bed. "We're heading over to Chey's place right now! We can't be late!"

"W-Wait, Mikey!" Donnie quickly saved the files and grabbed the laptop before being helplessly dragged along by his younger brother. "I-I'm still grounded, remember!?"

Splinter was the one to give his say on that. "For tonight, you are released from your grounding…but only for tonight, Donatello. We must not keep our friends waiting."

Whatever was going on, Donnie didn't know if he should be excited or dread the anticipation of it…

* * *

When the Turtles, Splinter, and Karai arrived at the balcony of Apartment 4C, they found the residence in total darkness. If Cheyloe and the others wanted to invite them over for a surprise, they'd have to remember the number-one rule: be home to present said surprise. Were they just running late? Were they asleep? Or was this all just some sort of lame prank to lighten the sour mood going around?

"They're not even home!" Raphael grumbled. "Let's go back home before we're spotted. What a waste of time!"

Donatello raised his fist to knock on the door, but something told him to jiggle the door handle. Why he got that feeling, he didn't know, but he decided to try it out. To his surprise, the door was unlocked and creaked open with ease. Odd for the ladies to leave even the balcony door unlocked…unless it was on purpose. If this turned out to be part of the so-called surprise, either Cheyloe actually had a sick sense of humor or she was kidnapped by the Foot. When he opened the door, he and his family stepped inside, only to be greeted by the lights suddenly flashing on in the room.

"SURPRISE! Happy Mutation Day!"

The Turtles jumped back at the exclamation. Shock wearing off, they finally registered Cheyloe, Anna, Kaitlyn, and even April standing in front of them with a big cake on the kitchen table. It wasn't one of the weird algae-and-worm cakes Mikey always made for their past Mutation Days; it was a legitimate, delicious-looking, two-tiered cake with blue, red, purple, and orange candles on it. The brothers stood in awe at the cake and a few gifts scattered on the table next to it, but what stunned them more was how they knew to do this for them. And three of them came up with one solution: Mikey.

"Mikey, did you have somethin' to do with this?" Raph interrogated, staring at his youngest brother.

"Well, maybe." Mikey teased, smirking and motioning at the cake. "I spoke with the ladies, and they decided to make us a big cake! Sure, it's not my algae and worm cake, but it'll be delicious, just the same!"

April suddenly averted her eyes. "…Even though it's our third attempt until Kaitlyn had enough."

"So, wait…did we actually forget about our own Mutation Day?" Leo wondered as he stared at the cake and girls in the room. "You guys planned this out since last night? Just for us?"

"Oh, Splinter and Karai had an idea, too." Anna mused, earning nods from the two in question. "But even they don't know about the next surprise in store. Follow us to the rooftop, and you'll see! They should be here right about now…"

Confused, the Turtles took Anna's advice and followed her up to the rooftops, avoiding detection from any neighbors or other bystanders. What would be up there, even more guests or presents? Once they got to their destination and got a good look, their jaws slacked open when they saw…

"SLASH!"

There the Mighty Mutanimals stood, mummified in bandages and frail but still alive. Slash ignored the pain in his body and gladly accepted the tackle-hug from his teary-eyed friend, and Mikey followed suit with Leatherhead; he didn't get the chance for a true hug during the rescue. Leo and Donnie laughed in relief before checking on Dr. Rockwell and Pigeon Pete, and the lead turtle was the first to glance over at the young women smiling and observing them. Everything made sense…they rescued the Mutanimals as a Mutation Day present, and he already knew the mastermind behind this was Mikey. So that meant…

"Did Mikey actually go in alone and get the Mutanimals out!?" Leo gaped when the pieces fit together in his head. "THAT was why you disappeared last night!?"

"Goodness, no!" Cheyloe gasped, attempting to calm Leo down. "Anna and Kaitlyn went with him! We weren't just going to let him infiltrate Foot Headquarters alone, Leo! I would've went, but I didn't for…obvious reasons."

Donnie glanced away in shame, prompting the brunette to act fast. "N-No, not you, Donnie! I-I was talking about Farrah…"

"We owe these ladies and Michelangelo our lives." Slash interrupted, resting his large hand on Raph's shoulder. "Shredder and that Farrah woman did some pretty nasty things to us…we're just glad they didn't probe your location through our brains. But…they'll know you're involved in our rescue, and they'll come after you."

Kaitlyn snorted. "Let 'em come. We ain't afraid of 'em."

"Wait, everybody, let's not focus on Shredder or Farrah or any of the anti-mutant stuff! At least not for tonight." Mikey insisted, patting Leatherhead on the snout with joy. "Let's just celebrate being eighteen and eat some cake!"

"Well, may we join?"

Everyone turned and saw a few other guests arriving. The first was none-other than the Fugitoid, looking full of glee and holding what resembled a metallic gift box. The other individual, the Turtles and superhumans didn't recognize, but seemed to be associated with the android. The second guest resembled a young woman with strawberry-blonde hair and a face full of freckles, and said face appeared stoic, calm, almost emotionless. Who was this person and why hadn't Fugitoid told them about her earlier?

"Oh, my apologies! Allow me to introduce my da-I-I mean, my assistant! I happened to be going through my lab when I realized she hadn't been active in years!" Fugitoid still beamed, contrasting his so-called assistant's cold demeanor. "I believe a Mutation Day celebration is just what she needs to get accustomed to Earth!"

Ignoring Leo suddenly staring intently at the assistant, Mikey grinned and cheered, "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's party already!"

* * *

The sounds of everyone chatting over the stereo playing, silverware hitting plates, the door opening and closing to deliver cake to the Mutanimals, and soda cans fizzing resonated through the apartment. If the landlord or neighbors came to complain and investigate, Cheyloe found herself fortunate that she knew a bunch of ninjas. After Mikey got a short scolding from Splinter about breaking into Foot Headquarters, everyone came together to cut the cake; they managed to get out of singing the 'Happy Birthday' song. April and Raph took it upon themselves to deliver a slice of cake to Casey once the party ended, but for right now, they would celebrate and forget the troubles going on.

Speaking of troubles…Cheyloe looked over to the sofa and saw Donnie glumly watching the party go on. How could he not be happy about turning eighteen? Well, considering what happened recently, it would be pretty difficult to cheer him up. The brunette grabbed a cake slice and sauntered over to him amidst the crowd in the apartment. The turtle didn't even look up much when she sat down next to him. "Hey, I grabbed you a slice." No response, and Chey grew worried. "Donnie, what's the matter? You can tell me."

The purple-masked turtle stared at her before sighing and reluctantly taking the plate. "I know, I know, I should be cutting up and digging in, but…I still can't stop thinking about how we're going to fight back. Can we even fight back?"

Cheyloe blinked and put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course we can. I mean, I'm still pretty afraid of having to face Farrah, but that can be overcome. Donnie, you can't give up hope…"

Donnie poked at the cake slice and finally confessed, "Cheyloe, I cracked open the files on Farrah's planner. What she's going to do isn't good…it's going to threaten not just New York, but the world. I have to tell everyone right now and-"

"Donnie, settle down." Chey reprimanded quietly, cupping his cheek with her hand and staring straight into his worried eyes. "Once celebrations are over, you can tell them…but for right now, just enjoy yourself! Oh, that reminds me!"

Donatello didn't know what she was up to, but watched the brunette go to the kitchen counter and retrieve a small box. The box looked pretty old, like out-of-an-antique-store old, and had a purple bow stuck to the lid. Once she handed it to him, he sat his plate down and went to carefully open the old box. Nothing out of the ordinary inside it, unless he could count the two ornaments inside. He picked one up and studied it carefully, finding it was in the shape of a turtle dove. In fact, both of them looked like turtle doves. "Cheyloe…why did you give me these turtle dove charms? They are charms, aren't they?"

Cheyloe chuckled and picked the second charm up. "It's a funny story, really. After Mikey told us about his plan, I went out and scrambled to find some last-minute gifts. I actually tried to get some pizza gyoza for the party, but unfortunately, Murakami's is closed because it's been deemed a 'suspected mutant gathering place'. I came across this antique store downtown, so I decided to check it out and found this old woman at the counter. She asked if I had anything in mind, and I told her about you. I didn't tell her you were a mutant, but I told her about how much I care about you. So…she went over to a display case and pulled these out." She paused and studied the turtle dove interlaced in her fingers as a smile grew on her face. "That woman told me that turtle doves represent a deep connection between two people…a connection born out of love and faithfulness that lasts for eternity."

Donnie immediately blushed and thanked God that none of the others heard the conversation. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by the history behind the charms, it was that Cheyloe got them for that very history. If this were during when they barely knew each other, he'd find the gift a little more than uncomfortable, like April was with that music box. Only this was way after that, and it didn't take his vast intellect to know the deep love between them. Not just as friends, either. For Cheyloe to give this gift to him…it had to mean both of them didn't just love each other, they were IN love with each other. Donnie already knew this of himself, but hearing, seeing, _feeling_ Chey confirm she had the same feelings brought a joyful smile to his lips. If this wound in his plastron fully healed, he would start tap-dancing right now. Having this gift, though…it was enough.

"Thank you, Cheyloe." Dangling the charm he had from his finger, he reached over and fitted the loop attached to the other charm over her wrist. "One for each of us, right?"

The two steadily ignored the music and chatter in the background, finding themselves drawing closer…well, their faces drawing closer. They already knew what they wanted, and the occasion tonight would make it feel even more special. Their eyes slowly closed, their mouths opened slightly, ready for-

"Donatello, what sort of data is this on your laptop?"

Donnie sharply turned his head and found Fugitoid snooping through his laptop; he forgot he brought that stupid thing here. Worst of all, he found the data he decoded from Farrah's planner, though the only ones who could make sense of it were the android and, well, himself. Everyone stared at the data with piqued curiosity, so the turtle figured it was time to temporarily cease the carefree celebration and give them the hard truth.

"Everyone…" Donatello stood up and got the attention of his friends and family, halting the celebrations to allow a serious atmosphere to flow in. "Leo knows this…but I successfully hacked into Farrah's planner. She's planning something BIG, big enough to threaten the entire world." Taking a deep breath, the genius turtle narrowed his eyes and concluded, "She plans on releasing a chemical that'll forcibly mutate every human in New York into superhumans."

The others felt their jaws drop open, and Mikey spat out the cake that he had shoved in his mouth. Donnie decided to continue, since he definitely had their undivided attention. "I've had Kurtzman dig up stuff on Farrah. One thing he discovered is that her college major is, get this, Biochemistry. Since she has some deep-seeded hatred for normal humans, she'd probably use that knowledge to make more of her kind, whether they wanted her to or not."

"Wait, Donnie…why would this necessarily be a bad thing?" Raph questioned, crossing his arms and leaning back in an easy chair. "Wouldn't the only consequence be people going crazy with new superpowers?"

"Raph, there's a BIG difference between a natural gene mutation for superpowers, like with Cheyloe and the others, and a forced gene mutation. I think this file right here'll shed some light."

Donnie took the laptop from Fugitoid and pulled up one of the hacked files. A video popped up, showing some sort of laboratory and a date on the top corner of the screen. On a table lay a frightened man, encased in a Plexiglas prison, being observed by a younger Farrah Rosenberg and a few other people. Farrah pressed a button, and two needles emerged from a machine inside before said needles lodged themselves into the man's neck. A few minutes passed with nothing happening…until the man started screaming before erupting in violent seizures. The Turtles held their breaths and felt terror growing inside them; this had to be just some random man off the street, probably having a family wondering where he disappeared to.

The video went to a section called 'Day 1'. The man was free from the table, begging Farrah and her associates to let him go. When the poor man tried to reach his fingers through the holes in the Plexiglas, he found his fingers, then his whole hand, stretching to incredible lengths. From her place at the observation deck, Farrah gave a smirk at the results. She didn't even pay attention to the man letting out wet cough after cough as his body fixed itself. Things got even worse when sliding over to 'Day 2'. This time, the man looked frail, coughing to the point of blood, yet his extremities looked swollen. Farrah could be seen furiously taking notes, scowling at the damaged man. Donnie could tell she wanted to know what went wrong and how to fix it. When 'Day 3' played, some of the people in the room had to keep themselves from throwing up. The captive man once again lay on the table, with his entire body grossly swollen, his eyes sunken in, and his skin so think his bones and organs were barely visible. He gasped for breath after breath as Farrah asked one of her associates what was happening. When he failed to provide an answer, she wasted no time in gutting him with her metallic nails.

Then it happened…the man let out a guttural moan as his body swelled even more before seemingly imploding and collapsing in on itself. Unidentified liquid that was once his innards oozed onto the floor, right there for a stunned Farrah to see. Morbidity wearing off, she put her cool demeanor back on and simply mouthed one word: failure. The video cut to static, and everyone remained horrified at what they just watched.

"…That's what a forced mutation will do to people." Donnie breathed out, swallowing back the taste of bile in his throat. "And if she hasn't improved on her methods, that's what'll happen to the people of New York."

April found herself shaking. "D-Do you think Shredder knows about her plan?"

Leo frowned. "If he knew, he wouldn't have agreed to work with her, would he? I'm sure she's been planning this behind his back since their team-up. Donnie, is there any way for a person to survive that?"

The purple-masked turtle shook his head. "No…not unless you're very lucky. According to her notes, she experimented on about fifty people. Out of those fifty people…only one survived. Want to take a guess who?"

Cheyloe was the one to answer, "…Sang."

"That's probably why he's Farrah's little butt-kisser." Mikey teased, despite the urgency of the situation. "So all this about wanting to protect the people from mutants is just to lull them into a false sense of security?"

"That, and she just wants the people to destroy each other…unless she thinks they're not destroying each other fast enough." Donnie concluded. "She wants the people to have their full trust in her before she yanks the rug out from underneath them. Us and New York aren't the only ones in danger anymore…the whole world could be in danger if Farrah manages to get global power!"

The silence in the apartment made way for murmuring amongst the group. What could they possibly do to stop Rosenberg's master plan? How would they even convince the people of New York that they were in danger of being killed by forced mutation? How would they even get the people on their side? So many of them already had such a deep hatred for mutants that convincing them of their status as the good guys would be near-impossible. But they couldn't just stand here and do nothing…they had to act. Maybe not now, but the opportunity would present itself, hopefully when Donatello and Casey were both at full strength, and once they had more dirt on Farrah.

"That settles it." Leo concluded, standing up and taking a deep breath. "The people of New York see us as enemies, but they don't deserve what Farrah has planned for them. We have to stop Shredder and Farrah, even if it costs us our lives."

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey stood up in agreement with Leo's cut-and-dry declaration. It only took a few seconds for everyone else, even Fugitoid and his mysterious assistant, to stand up and declare their determination. If Casey were among them, he'd be standing, too, but Raph and April would be sure to inform him of the news. They'd even reach out to their other mutant allies, Bishop, whatever help they could get. If they could even manage to plant a seed of doubt in Shredder's mind, they'd use that to their advantage, too.

No matter how much the people hated them, the Hamato Clan would still save them. They had to save New York and the entire world, no matter the cost.

* * *

 **Another long chapter, but I figured I'd go on and reveal Farrah's plan without drawing things out too long. The experimented man's death is actually inspired by what happened to Senator Kelly in the 2000 X-Men movie; X-Men is one of the inspirations I got for Cheyloe and her friends. Next chapter involves April and Raph being helped by someone completely unexpected, Cheyloe having a deep discussion with Splinter, and Donatello and Leonardo getting assistance from Fugitoid and his soon-to-be-named assistant. Well, do stay tuned!**


	44. Spark of Rebellion

**Author's Note: Finally, I have a new chapter up! Just a few more chapters, and this story will be complete! Don't worry, like I said before, I've got a sequel planned out, and you'll still get action from Turtle Dove Tidbits! You can still send in requests for any scenes you'd like to see! Back to the main subject, Donnie is ready to go back to battle, see some more Raph and April moments, a surprise encounter, and a plan to stop Shredder and Farrah once and for all! Read and review, but no flames!**

* * *

Chapter 44: Spark of Rebellion

"Casey…when was th' last time you cleaned yer room!?"

Despite the piles of sweat-drenched clothes, hockey magazines, scrap metal, and first-aid items all over the floor and dresser, Casey offered only a shrug and a cheesy grin at Raphael's growling question. "Hey, in case ya forgot, I've been confined in 'ere since I got home. Besides, Dad Febreeze'd it yesterday."

April cringed and held her hand next to her nose. "That's…not exactly reassuring, Casey. But let's forget that. Feeling better than before?"

Casey's grin vanished and he instantly gritted his teeth, wrapping his arms around himself and making his sore abdomen throb again. He could deal with that pain, though. What he couldn't deal with was being on the sidelines while bad things were about to go down very soon. Now he understood why Donatello go so frustrated since his injuries, but at least he was almost fully healed…he'd been like this for a few weeks, and he still needed to be confined to his apartment. "I'll be fine once I can give Shred-Head another blind eye to match th' one he's got. I can't believe he's dumb enough to work wit' Farrah when she's plannin' on mutatin' 'im behind 'is back."

April quickly glanced away. "He's been so desperate to get Karai back, I'm sure he's not even paid attention to her plans. Imagine his surprise once he learns the truth."

"Imagine what'll happen once everyone knows the truth." Raph snorted nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "Unless some of these people are so deluded by her crap, they'll turn on 'er. Donnie's been gathering up more info on 'er, so once he's done with catch-up, we're gonna let 'em have it."

Right in the middle of the temperamental turtle's speech, the bedroom door suddenly opened to reveal Arnold Sr. staring into the room holding a bologna sandwich for Casey. The three stared at the burly man for a moment, and that's when Casey started to panic. "D-Dad, I-I can explain!"

"Mr. Jones, don't scream!" April cried out, hands held up. "Th-This is-"

"Yer Raphael, right? Th' one Casey's always hangin' out with?" The older man questioned as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. He saw the turtle be taken aback by his calm demeanor, so it was best to explain the reason behind it. "Casey told me about you after he woke up. I ain't gonna threaten ya or anything like that…I actually wanna thank ya for saving my kid's life."

Raph didn't know what to say. For one, he found himself shell-shocked that he actually came face-to-face with Casey's DAD and didn't get shouted at or chased off or whatever. Secondly, saving Casey from random things wasn't that much of a deal…except last time, they really could have lost him to Shredder. If it hadn't been for Karai, Casey would be dead at the bottom of the ocean, and Mr. Jones would be blaming the mutants for it for the rest of his life. It didn't turn out that way, though; unlike Mr. O'Neil, Mr. Jones knew not to blame the wrong people. His son was still alive.

"Mr. Jones…I…y-you're welcome." The red-masked turtle stuttered. "I mean…Casey's my best friend; there's no way I'm gonna let 'im get killed."

"Well, if he's still doin' this vigilante stuff when I told 'im not to, it's good yer keepin' an eye on 'im." Arnold Sr. deadpanned. "If he does somethin' stupid, smack 'im around when I can't."

Casey frowned. "Dad, I'm right here, ya know."

After giving a quick nod, Raph got up from his seat at the window and began stepping out. "We'd better get goin', April. We can't be out long, or everyone's gonna worry. I'll make sure ya get home safe."

The redhead in question scoffed and grabbed her bag. "Raph, I've gotten much better in my training; I can take care of myself just fine." Seeing him frown, she sighed and gave a relenting smile at the turtle. "…But I appreciate it." Turning to Casey and his dad, she spoke, "We'll come back for another visit, and be careful if you go out…the riots and anti-mutant propaganda are getting worse."

Raph and April swiftly exited the window and made their way to the rooftops. A few seconds after they left, Casey gave a snort and turned to his father. "Those two act like they're attached at th' hips or somethin'."

Dashing on the rooftops, the sounds of people arguing over mutants could be heard beneath them, and they wanted it all to be done already. The only difference now was that there were steadily more people arguing on their behalf against the ones spreading mutant slander. That was thanks to the combined efforts of Donatello and Jack Kurtzman. Since Donnie dug up the information on Farrah's master plan, he passed that info to Kurtzman, who took to the Internet and anonymous articles to launch a smear campaign against Rosenberg. While many were disbelieving of their designated messiah being called a liar, others were smart enough to put the pieces together that her benevolent front didn't mix with her hate-mongering towards mutants.

"At least some people are wakin' up." Raph snorted, watching two college-aged people argue in front of the local gypsy parlor.

"Even they don't know the whole truth, but at least it's a start." April said dryly. Making note of the time, she got up from her hiding spot and started running again. "I'll drop you off first; the manhole's just around the corner."

The temperamental turtle offered a snort, grinning smugly. "Oh, you dropping ME off? I thought it was supposed to be th' guy that drops th' girl off. Are ya saying I'm the girl when it comes to us?"

As much as she tried staying serious, April snickered before erupting in a laughing fit, punching Raph on the shoulder as he kept grinning. "Be serious, Raph! You've put pictures in my head I can't get out now!"

Their chuckling and cutting up went on as they climbed from the rooftop to the alleyway of the familiar manhole cover. April waited patiently while Raph worked on lifting the metal lid, checking her nails and tessen every few seconds. Once Raph got back to the lair, she'd make her way back to Cheyloe's apartment and work on applying for a job somewhere in the city; she didn't want her dad's help in paying for college. Just thinking about him made her stomach turn…here she thought she knew her father so well, but now she didn't know if all she knew stayed true. In times like these, she wished her mother was still around. But at least she found herself fortunate to have the Turtles, Casey, Karai, Splinter, the superhumans…and right now, she found herself very fortunate to have Raphael.

"Well, well…so all the rumors're true."

Raph and April froze at the eerily-calm voice, one they didn't recognize. Both stood side-by-side and found themselves approached by a group of thuggish-looking people. They saw badges pinned to their clothes, and immediately recognized the symbol on them representing members of the anti-mutant movement. Right then, April recognized the person calling her out: her old classmate, Vernon Fenwick.

"Vern!? What do you want!?" April asked warily.

"O'Neil, I didn't wanna believe you of all people hung around with those…freaks." Fenwick sneered, and the redhead took notice of the metal pipe in his hand. "You sympathize with 'em? Or is it also true you're a freak, too?"

Raph gave a low growl and drew out his sai, but April held him back and glared at the group with a steely gaze. "The only freaks are people like you who buy into Farrah's lies! You're all just using this movement as an excuse to do whatever you want, no matter who gets hurt!"

Vern and the rest of the group tensed up and immediately drew their weapons. "O'Neil, I really wish you would've joined your old man and saw the light…but it looks like we'll have to make you see the light. If you join up, maybe Farrah'll spare your friend over there."

Raph raised his sai again, and April wasted no time in unfolding her tessen. Just as they feared, they'd have to take on fellow citizens of New York; the ones unyieldingly loyal to Rosenberg's crusade. As the fight was about to commence and one of the anti-mutant thugs reached for a gun, a voice from the street shouted, "Get away from my daughter!"

Vern quickly turned around, only to see a large wooden board come slamming down on his skull. He collapsed to the pavement a second later, making the other thugs turn and see who their attacker's identity was. They looked shocked, and even Raph and April couldn't hide their disbelief.

"Dad!?"

There stood Kirby O'Neil, eyes narrowed, teeth gritted, and holding the wooden board. Raph's jaw slacked open, April kept staring and found herself petrified, and the anti-mutant thugs found themselves confused.

"Kirby, what're you doing!?" One anti-mutant advocate sputtered. "You're on OUR side!"

"….If I'd know what kind of monsters would be in this group, I would have NEVER joined the likes of you. I was only so caught up in protect April I didn't see the truth." Kirby stole a glance at his daughter before eyeing his former allies once again. "I want NOTHING to do with people who use unrest to kill others!"

The other thugs proceeded to gang up on the traitor to their cause, when they were swiftly taken out by Raphael and April. Several jabs with the sai and swings of the tessen later, the anti-mutant thugs lay on the ground, bloodied and groaning in pain. Kirby dropped the board with a sigh and stared hopefully at his daughter and the red-masked turtle. Despite what he hoped, however, their faces were unreadable. Raph only grunted and gave a curt nod, the only form of thanks he would get right now, while April stared quietly at the ground.

"A-April…" Kirby began, his voice cracked in sorrow. "I-I'm so sorry-"

"You still have a lot to think about." April spat, fists clenched tightly, before walking off into the night.

Raph looked between the two and quickly decided to head into the sewers before backup arrived. As for Mr. O'Neil, he sighed and hung his head in defeat. He wanted April to say 'It's okay Dad, I forgive you', but he only fooled himself if he thought forgiveness would be instantaneous. He broke his daughter's trust, and he broke the Turtles' trust, so he knew it would be a long time before he could be fully forgiven. Reality sunk in just a few seconds later…if he wanted their forgiveness, he would have to earn it back, no matter how long it took.

* * *

Donatello gave his Bo staff another twirl before slamming it into the unsuspecting training dummy, making it swing backwards and hit the wall of the dojo. With the cloth and sand creature laying still on the floor, he didn't feel satisfied; he needed to hit something that would actually hit back. That's when his auburn eyes immediately went to Leonardo. As if on cue, Leo readied his swords and positioned himself into a fighting stance, Donnie doing the same. Near the tree, Splinter sat watching, while Michelangelo and Cheyloe sat close to the wall, the latter on standby in case medical intervention was required. Everything became silent, not even the breaths everyone took made a sound. A single leaf fell from the tree and drifted in front of Splinter's face.

"Hajime!"

Leo and Donnie cried out and charged. Each delivered blows, dodged blows, countered, all the while keeping a close eye on Donnie's plastron. Instead of bandages covering it, something akin to a bulletproof vest was wrapped around his shell and plastron, hiding the bandages underneath as to keep him from being the first target. Fortunately, his wound was almost fully healed, and he started catching up on training once giving the green light by Splinter and Chey. However, he knew the brunette remained wary; when Leo kicked him in the shoulder, he could see Mikey stopping her from getting up. The purple-masked turtle ignored the twinge of pain in his plastron and kept up his attacks.

In the place of Leo, he envisioned Shredder, then Farrah, even the long-dead Syzygy. He envisioned what he would do to them if they were right there. His attacks became much more heated, and he managed to knock Leo to his shell with a forceful swing of his Bo staff. Groaning, the blue-masked turtle got up, and both kept their eyes locked on each other. After a moment of silently standing off, the two stood straight and offered bows.

"You've improved greatly, Donatello." Splinter acknowledged, rising to his feet and walking to his sons. Arms behind his back, he gave a smile and added, "I believe you are ready to be back on the battlefield. Just remember to wear that covering at all times."

Donnie grinned brightly and feverishly nodded his head. "H-Hai, Sensei! Thank you!"

Leo couldn't help but grin himself, both at the news and his brother's excitement. "Congrats, bro. It feels good to have our team whole again. We've missed you out there."

"Yeah, D! It sucks when one of us has to miss out on a fight or patrol!" Mikey chimed in. "It's more fun when all of us are out there!"

Donnie cut his celebration short when Cheyloe approached him and started unhooking the vest. Seeing the brunette hovering around him like a stereotypical mother hen made him chuckle and roll his eyes. "Cheyloe, it just hurt for a second. I'm fine, okay?"

"Well, I have to check to be sure. You know me." She insisted, a wry smile on her lips. Her eyes went to the bandages and she studied them for blood and any foreign material that could've lodged in them. Seeing neither, Chey smiled and fixed the vest back. "You look clean." After giving him the good news, she cast her eyes down and kept her hands on his shoulders. "I can't believe it's already time...you're ready to fight again."

"I know…it feels like forever." The genius turtle noted somberly. "But we're ready to take down Farrah now, and we're all going to beat her and Shredder once and for all."

Donnie placed a hand on Cheyloe's cheek to give her reassurance, but the affectionate moment was interrupted when a voice called from the entrance, "Leonardo, Donatello, we've arrived!"

"Oh, it's Fugitoid and his assistant." Leo spoke, heading for the dojo exit. "Seriously, does she have an actual name?"

"We can ask Fugitoid, Leo. Right now, let's focus on the important reason we need them over."

Once Leo and Donnie left, that left Splinter, Chey, and Mikey in the dojo. The brunette fidgeted her fingers, turning to the orange-masked turtle and requesting, "Mikey…could you give me and Master Splinter a moment alone, please?"

Mikey blinked, but gave an understanding nod and quickly exited the dojo. Splinter found himself curious as to why Cheyloe wanted to speak to him alone, and his curiosity grew when the brunette suddenly sat in front of him. This had to be important if she suddenly sat back down, therefore the rat took a seat in front of her with the tree facing behind him like a protective wall. "Cheyloe…are you all right?"

Chey kept her head down, digging her nails into the fabric of her knees before forcing herself to face Splinter. The rat could see in her teal eyes that she looked, to put it bluntly, apprehensive. Though he knew the possible cause, he wanted to hear it from her own mouth. "Master Splinter…I'm scared. We're going to face Shredder and Farrah, and I'm absolutely terrified. I know, I'm usually keeping up a happy appearance and giving out positivity, but…but it's just a front to hide how scared I am."

Splinter stroked his beard and mulled over Cheyloe's words. Truthfully, he found himself scared as well; if this was indeed the final confrontation with Saki, would he come out alive to see his sons grow into wise, seasoned men, or see his daughter grow into a woman as beautiful as her mother? However, he could already sense that the approaching confrontation wasn't the only thing causing fright for Cheyloe. "…You are also scared for Donatello, am I correct? Not just for him going back to battle, I believe."

Seeing the brunette's eyes widen, the rat decided to explain what he meant. "I have observed the interactions between you two for a while. I had a feeling that your optimism and smiles were ways to hide the pain of your past; I learned that much from Michelangelo's low points. Because of the mask you wore…you also attempted to push Donatello away."

Cheyloe opened and closed her mouth like a fish gasping for air. "D-Did I really…"

"From the story Donatello told me of Embry Karnes, you desired to push him out of your heart and mind for fear that he would suffer the same fate as the boy. Yet the more you tried to keep him out…the more you wished for him to stay. Believe me, it is something I've seen before." When he saw her staring at him with tear-glistened eyes, he knew he hit is mark. Now, he had to find confirmation on another matter. "Cheyloe…do you love Donatello?"

The brunette nodded quickly. "Yes, without question!"

"Good…now answer another question. Do you LOVE Donatello?"

Why was he repeating the question; she'd answer yes as many times as it took. Then it clicked that he was spoke of another kind of love; THAT kind of love. To the others, they expected that it started the moment Donnie returned from the brink of death and confessed that he loved her. They didn't know it started earlier…it started the moment Donnie told her that he knew of her cheerful façade and of Embry. That night, when Donnie held her as she cried over the boy, when he told her that it was all beyond her control…and even in her sleep, she could feel him kiss he forehead. That's when the seed was planted, and it came into full bloom when Donnie told her twice that he loved her.

What Master Splinter said was indeed true; she wanted to push him away because she feared he would be another Embry, and he almost was. But the more she tried to get him out of her heart, the more he came in and stayed, and she didn't want him out. She was scared of him being let in, and now she was scared of letting him go, so scared that she wanted to keep him off the battlefield…but she couldn't do that. He had to fight, and she would be right there with all of them…with Donnie. The answer to Splinter's question came easily.

"…Yes, I do." Chey looked the rat in the eyes and added, "Without question."

Splinter searched her eyes for any deception, and found himself relieved to find none. He wouldn't have to worry about Donatello's affections being all for naught; he had the same worries when it came to his son's long-gone crush on April. "I thank you for your honesty, Cheyloe. Now, to show you my appreciation for taking care of my son, I would like to give you something."

* * *

"Thanks for coming over, Fugitoid and…" Leo looked over at the assistant, scratching the back of his neck and clearing his throat. "I-I'm sorry…what's your name?"

The assistant glanced through a book she happened to find on Donatello's bookshelf before her eyes locked on to Leonardo. Since the Turtles met this girl, she didn't speak a word, and they no longer really expected her to. Before the lead turtle could dismiss his own question, the assistant replied, "I apologize for disappointing you, but I do not have an Earth name, Hamato Leonardo. Father never gave me one, and I do not remember my D'Hoonib name."

Leo and Donnie blinked rapidly before turning to Fugitoid and sputtering in unison, "F-Father?"

Fugitoid sighed and twiddled his metallic fingers before giving a nod of his head. "Yes…she is not only my assistant, but she is my daughter. Though like me, she is a highly-sophisticated android, no thanks to those Triceratons, yet we both possess pieces of our previous lives. She did have another name, but she doesn't seem to be fond of it anymore. I suppose it just brings up bad memories…"

"Bad memories?" Leo questioned curiously, ignoring the comment about the assistant being an android as well.

"N-Never mind!" Fugitoid dismissed hurriedly. "I haven't had the time to give her a new name, and I thought of actually letting her pick out one herself. Something she can be comfortable with."

That was when Leo took notice of the book the assistant started reading, and wondered why a turtle of science like Donnie would own a book about Greek mythology. Shrugging off the thought, he looked at the chapter the young woman found herself enthralled in: the story of Perseus and the princess Andromeda. Huh, that name actually seemed catchy; beautiful, too. The blue-masked turtle blushed slightly at the thought and cleared his throat again. "Well, if you're open to suggestions, how about this one? I think you'd like it."

The assistant stared down at the name written in bold, where the tip of Leo's finger rested. After a few seconds of silence, she read aloud, "Andromeda. It is a strange Earth name, but I do admit I find it likeable." She closed the book and put it back in the exact spot she discovered it. "I thank you for your suggestion, Hamato Leonardo. I shall use that name."

Fugitoid looked surprised, and Leo could only chuckle and blush from the newly-named Andromeda's monotonous-yet-kind words. Donnie allowed them to revel in it for a moment, but soon opened up his laptop and placed it on his desk. "All right, let's focus on the task at hand. Fugitoid, did you analyze all the data I sent you?"

The android walked over to the desk and brought up a holographic screen from a projector in his palm. "I did, Donatello. While I am impressed with Miss Rosenberg's biochemical knowledge, she does not treat her test subjects well, does she? From the data you sent me, what she used on that man was a combination of a radioactive isotope and the superhuman gene extracted from her own DNA. Clearly, she was attempting to replicate the effects of mutagen radiation birthing superhuman abilities." Fugitoid suddenly pointed to a simulation created from the data, showing several cells radiated by an energy source before bursting one by one. "However, because it's not exactly like mutagen radiation, the man's body rejected the forced mutation, therefore his body literally destroyed itself. If Farrah were to use a high concentration of this substance and distribute it all over New York…anyone who isn't already a superhuman would die in a matter of days."

Donnie frowned over the information, and Leo ground his teeth at the callousness behind Rosenberg's plan. Now a new question popped up in their minds: did she really want to turn people into superhumans, or did she know the process would kill them and wanted to use it to eliminate the human population? Either way, something had to be done to destroy that chemical and whatever she'd use to distribute it. Then there was the matter of her alliance with Shredder, and with that, they possibly had allies in the Purple Dragons, the mob, and local citizens in general.

"I do have something to add; information you may find of value." Andromeda cut in before producing a map from her own palm projector. "Farrah Rosenberg will be holding a special conference at the Broadway Theatre, and many prominent figures will be present. The mayor of New York, city council members, and even New York's governor."

"Ordinary people will be there, too. But if they have political figures there…she might want to use them as guinea pigs first." Leo concluded morbidly before turning back to Fugitoid and Andromeda. "Will this conference be broadcast all over the city?"

Fugitoid nodded slowly. "If Farrah plans to distribute this chemical, she will most likely have machines to do the job in important locations. Actually, Andromeda and I have been searching the city, and we found two active distributors: one at the Statue of Liberty, the other on top of the Chrysler Building."

That's when part of a plan started coming together in Donnie's brain. "A group of us can go directly to Farrah, and the rest of us can take out the distributors. We'll need the Mutanimals to help out, and if it comes down to it we'll get Casey as well. But then there's the matter of getting New York away from Farrah's side…"

The conversation died when Donnie's T-Phone rang like crazy. The turtle in question picked it up and found a number he didn't recognize. Was this some sort of hack done by Baxter Stockman, or maybe by an anti-mutant nut? Only one way to find out. "…Hello?"

 _"…_ _Oh…thank goodness I could reach you."_ The voice was that of an elderly-sounding man, aged and on shallow breaths as he spoke. _"You are Donatello, correct?"_

"Who is this?" The purple-masked turtle demanded. "How did you get this number?"

The elderly man seemed to chuckle. _"Miss Doggett did say you were very inquisitive. Don't worry, I mean you no harm, my boy. I wanted to give you vital information, because you'll be more important in the campaign against Farrah Rosenberg than you could imagine."_

Cheyloe knew this man, and he knew Farrah? Donnie sat himself back down, pushing aside the stares from everyone in the lab and Raph suddenly coming in rambling about something. "…You have my attention."

 _"_ _Good, good. First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicodemus Rosenberg…and Farrah Rosenberg is my granddaughter."_

"Farrah is your _granddaughter_!?" Donnie shouted into the phone.

 _"_ _Yes…and I take full responsibility for everything she's done to you and your city. She wasn't always like this, she was actually much more docile compared to how she is now. But I filled her head with so many things; words spoken by an idiotic man angry at the world. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have the idea that superhumans needed to be superior to everyone else."_ The man rambled on, his voice filled with tremendous regret that Donnie could feel radiate through the phone. _"I'm sorry, Donatello…I got carried away. Let me get back to the subject in focus. I happened to discover the smear campaign on the Internet, so I contacted Miss Doggett, and she told me to talk to you. I want to give you vital information you can use to snap the people of New York out of her spell."_

The genius turtle cleared his throat and found himself putting both hands on his T-Phone, his mouth opening and closing slightly. "What…kind of information do you have?"

 _"_ _I wish to tell you the true motive behind Farrah's actions, and something very important about her mutation…and I want to tell you what really happened the night my son and daughter-in-law died."_

* * *

"So, wait, Mr. O'Neil's back on OUR side!?" Mikey asked in shock. "He turned on the anti-mutant people!?"

Raphael nodded feverishly, now standing outside the lab with Michelangelo and Splinter after being told to leave until he calmed down. A call from Anna just a moment ago confirmed the story, and they were left wondering if Kirby actually joining the movement before was just some crazy dream. "Yeah, I can't believe it, either. He tried apologizin' to April, but she ain't ready for it yet. Really, I'm not, either. It doesn't hurt me as much that he turned on us, but turning on his own daughter? That's a little harder to forgive, and I kinda wished I'd punched 'im…but not in front of April."

The freckled turtle suddenly flashed a cheesy smile. "Since when'd you get so protective over April, Raph? I thought Donnie used to be bad about that. Could it be that something's in the air, and it's not even spring?"

Before Raph could smack his brother upside the head, Splinter beat him to the punch, only he lightly bonked Mikey's head with the top of his jade cane. "That will be enough, Michelangelo." His attention quickly went to his second-eldest son, "Raphael, while I do insist that you should not hold a grudge, I also understand that forgiveness is not always swift. Mr. O'Neil's return to the side of light is admirable, but he will have to put in a lot of work to earn back our trust and forgiveness, especially that of April's. Your concerns are legitimate, my son."

"I just don't wanna see 'er get hurt like that anymore; she got hurt enough when 'er dad mutated an' she saw that fake mom. I think we can all agree on that." Raph concluded, sinking into the couch with a sigh. "Maybe they'll make up, maybe they won't, I don't know-"

The lab doors suddenly slid open, and their brothers, Fugitoid, and Andromeda rushed out in a frenzy. Donatello and Leonardo were the ones displaying the most concern, and it showed even more when they both tried to speak at the same time. Their rambling and overlapping of words prompted Splinter to give a warning tap of his cane and silence his sons immediately.

"One at a time, my sons." The rat sighed. "Donatello, you speak first."

Giving a nod, Donnie explained, "We just got a LOT of helpful info that'll make people see Farrah for what she really is! That's the good news, anyway. The bad news is she's going to have a conference at the Broadway theatre tomorrow, and there's going to be a lot of political figures present. If the gets their complete trust, the citizens are doomed!"

"That'll make it easier for her to mutate everybody!" Raph growled when he abruptly got to his feet.

"So what do we do to stop her, D?" Mikey wondered aloud.

"First thing's first, we call everyone over here. I'll get the webcam feed set up so Casey can hear this, too. This'll be really important."

"So I guess you spoke with Nicodemus?"

Donnie turned to the dojo and saw Cheyloe emerge, looking somewhat scuffed-up and sporting a few fresh bruises. The genius turtle paled; did she request a training session with Splinter in his absence? His instincts told him to start checking over her and treating the injuries, but he knew he couldn't be so scared and end up worrying her. Instead, he took a few steps and asked cautiously, "Cheyloe, are you okay? You look like you've been hit by a car!"

"Oh, this? It's nothing, Donnie, really!" Chey waved off, wearing a huge smile and rubbing a bruise. "I just asked Splinter to teach me a move or two real quick, and I wanted to get some practice with my new gifts."

Donnie blinked. "Uh…gifts?"

The brunette quickly produced two sets of items now meticulously strapped to her belt. One looked like a folding pack, and Donnie recognized the pack as a traditional first-aid kit Splinter kept when they were kids. Perhaps Splinter wanted her to be accustomed to both ancient and 'modern' forms of medicine. The second item was another pack, but the genius turtle didn't know what it contained.

"What's in that pack?"

Instead of saying anything, Cheyloe glanced at the training dummy next to the arcade machines before reaching into the pack, drawing back her arm, and slinging it forward. The next thing everyone knew, a long, metallic needle landed in the neck of the dummy, and a thin stream of sand trickled out onto the floor. Everyone except Splinter and Andromeda gasped in surprise, and Cheyloe chuckled when she took out another needle and twirled it between her fingers.

"Throwing needles. Figured I'd need more than a gun and fire-starting in a fight. Now, let's get everyone and get down to business."

A few hours and many phone calls later, April, the superhumans, Karai, the Mutanimals, and Casey via webcam assembled in the main area of the lair. While Donnie had a premade chart set up, the others were gearing up their current weapons along with new grappling vests made courtesy of the genius turtle and other smorgasbords of weaponry available. Cheyloe, apart from the newly-gifted needles, fitted her pistol with a new clip and secured it in the holster on her arm, while April twirled her tessen, Slash polished his mace, and the other Turtles stocked up on shuriken and smoke bombs. Seeing everyone almost finished, Donnie cleared his throat, waited for everyone to turn their heads to him, and tapped his pointer stick against his chart.

"All right, do I have everyone's undivided attention? Even Mikey's? Good. Now, according to what Fugitoid and Andromeda gathered, Farrah's set up two mutagenic distributors over at the Statue of Liberty's head and the top of the Chrysler building. From what we can estimate, once she's earned the full trust of all the political officials in New York, and with everyone drawn out to view the broadcast, she'll activate them and possible others to forcibly mutate a majority of the New York populace." Donnie suddenly pointed to Foot Headquarters. "It's possible she'll even have one hidden in Baxter's lab, just in case anything goes wrong. She's keeping it hidden from Shredder so they'll keep their alliance going."

Turning the paper, the genius turtle went on, "This is what we'll do. Since her conference is going to be airing live from the Broadway Theatre, I'll hack into the sound and video systems to expose her lies; I'll need Cheyloe, Rockwell, and Casey with me as backup witnesses and cover. Don't worry, Casey won't be in any harsh fights. Meanwhile, Raph, April, and Anna will work on destroying the distributor at the Statue of Liberty, while Mikey, Kaitlyn, and Leatherhead take out the one for the Chrysler Building." He turned to the last of the group, "Leo, Karai, Splinter, and the rest of the Mutanimals will take out the majority of Foot Headquarters while Fugitoid and Andromeda locate and deactivate any distributors we've missed."

"Wait!" April called out. "How exactly will we destroy them without getting mutated by accident?"

That's when Donnie tossed a large, cylindrical object for her to catch. The redhead noticed it had blue lighting on it and a latch mechanism on the side; it looked a lot like a futuristic pipe-bomb. "Fugitoid helped me craft these. They'll first short-out the distributors, neutralize the chemical within, and then blow it up with as little damage as possible to anything nearby. I've also been brewing some of this while I've been down." He proceeded to toss several shooters and darts to the group, the darts containing a familiar orange liquid. "Use this on any of Shredder's henchmen. If we can't kill them, we can at least make them human and let them face authorities."

"Are you saying we actually have to kill them, D?" Mikey asked apprehensively. "I mean, I know they've done horrible things, and I'm not trying to justify it, but…"

Donnie sighed and stared at his brother in sympathy. "I know, Mikey…but if it comes down to it, we may just have to. Some people just can't be redeemed, no matter how much you want them to or how hard you try. Shredder and Farrah are two of those people."

"Donatello is correct. For a long time, I had hoped Saki would amend his ways, and take responsibility for his wrongdoing." Splinter closed his eyes, recalling the bittersweet memories of him and his former brother before everything went south. He remembered how it all started with jealousy over Tang Shen and the discovery of Saki's true heritage, and how he often wished things were different. "However, he refuses to take that responsibility, continuing to blame others for his wrongs and willing to risk the lives of others for revenge. As for Farrah, she is far too arrogant to see herself as wrong, and sees everyone who isn't superhuman as expendable. Both of them are simply too evil to be left alone."

Karai glanced away at the description of her former father because it hit home hard. After she found out the truth of her origins, she wanted revenge so bad she didn't care who got hurt in the process. What did her own desires for revenge get her? She almost killed her real father, she got mutated into a serpent, and she fell victim to mind control. The urges remained, but she began understanding the cost of revenge, and it made her even more determined to be less and less like Shredder. "We'll have no choice but to kill them, won't we?" She asked softly. "If we leave them alone, they'll just keep hurting people, and the authorities won't be able to do anything."

Splinter instantly flattened his ears, prompting Donatello to clear his throat once again. "Let's not worry about that part now. Right now, we need to rest up and get prepared for the fight of our lives tomorrow."

"Well, have fun convincing my dad yer gonna need me as a character witness!" Casey chimed in from the computer screen. "My stitches ain't out yet!"

"Don't worry, we'll outfit you with a vest like I've got on." Donnie assured, smirking. "They won't even see your injuries."

Anna was the first to address the need for rest and preparation when she got up from the sofa. "I suggest we meet back here tomorrow evening before the conference. Right now, we should get as much rest as we can; we'll take off work tomorrow so we can prepare. I should wear my hair in a battle bun tomorrow…"

"It's a fight fer our lives, not a fashion show, Anna!" Kaitlyn grunted. "Th' bad guys ain't gonna care how ya wear yer hair!"

The group shared a laugh at the hair comment, but quickly settled down when they remembered what would happen the next night. Donnie closed up his pointer stick and took a deep breath, stealing a glance at the concerned Cheyloe. "Everyone…this is going to be the biggest battle of our lives, probably just as big as the Triceraton invasion. Whatever happens out there, I just want to say…I'm glad you all are my family and friends. I'm glad to know I can count on a bunch of wonderful people, be they mutant, human, or superhuman. Let me say that I…" He paused to wipe away the moisture threatening to fall down his cheeks, "I love all of you."

That's what prompted his brothers to jump up and crush him in a group hug. Splinter followed, then April, even Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn. While the Mutanimals and androids stood back and marveled the scene, Karai found herself biting back her pride and joining in the hug.

Tomorrow, they would either live or die defeating Shredder and Farrah. Whatever it took, no matter what happened to them, they would defeat their enemies once and for all.

* * *

 **The final battle's about to commence. Will our heroes make it out alive? Will New York be ready for the can of worms about to open concerning their so-called savior, Farrah? What'll happen when Shredder finds out what she's been planning behind his back? Well, just stay tuned and find out!**


	45. Endgame, Part 1

**Author's Note: And here we are, the final chapter of Turtle Dove. And by final chapter, I mean this chapter'll be divided into about three parts, followed by an epilogue. Now, I'll let you know I got a lot of influence by the final episodes of Season 1 of Legend of Korra, when Korra confronts Amon and reveals the truth. All the parts happening right now are happening at the same time before they decide to converge at Foot HQ. Now, sit back and enjoy the show! Please read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 45: Endgame, Part 1

 _"Raion to Gifuto. Raion to Gifuto, do you copy?"_

Donatello clicked the button on his T-Phone and casually replied, "Gifuto here, Raion, I do indeed copy. How's it going on your end?"

 _"We're getting ready to infiltrate Foot Headquarters right now."_ Leonardo replied over the sound of wind in the background and a determined hiss from Karai. _"There aren't many guards; the Foot Bots might be with that Sang guy. I'll give Raph and them a head's up about it. Are you at Broadway?"_

"Rockwell and I are about to enter the ventilation system and get to the audio room. Casey and Cheyloe are infiltrating the crowd incognito. When Rockwell gives them the signal, Casey'll say his piece and Chey'll activate the sprinkler system." Donnie explained quietly as he unscrewed the vent plating. "If Farrah makes a run for it, she'll more than likely head for Foot HQ, then we'll all converge there once the distributors are destroyed."

He could hear a second of silence on the other end before Leo asked, _"Why do you need activate the-oh, that's right. Well, while you guys are getting ready for the show, I'll let Raph and Mikey-I mean, Iyasa and Tenshi know to look out for any of the Foot and Sang. Fugitoid and Andromeda haven't found any more distributors yet, but the communication channel's open just in case."_

 _"We haven't seen that Sang dude yet."_ Michelangelo piped up from his location. _"Sheesh, this place is too tall! I wish we could take the elevator and skip all this climbing!"_

 _"Save it, Knucklehead! At least ya didn't have to take this freakin' sub! I swear, if Anna complains about 'er hair one more time…"_ A smacking sound cut Raphael short, and the others guessed the woman in question delivered the blow. _"Ow! All right, I'll stop complainin'! Anyway, you guys better get a move on. We'll meet up at Foot HQ when we're done."_

"All right, guys. Be careful." Donatello stuffed his T-Phone back in his belt and turned to face Rockwell after popping the cover off the vent. "Okay, Fugitoid gave me a map of the theatre, and this vent should lead us directly into the audio room."

The mutant chimp pressed his lips into a thin line. "If we encounter anyone managing the room, we'll have to subdue them quickly. Do you have the means to hack into the system and have your words broadcast all over the city, Donatello?"

Donnie smirked at Rockwell before climbing into the dark vent. "You think I wouldn't come prepared? Everything that happens in there, they city'll see it and hear it. We'll definitely get through to them. Now come on, we can't stall!"

Inside the crowded theatre, the seats filled up with members of New York's high-class and political players talking about the influence of Farrah Rosenberg. Most of the attendees simply went along with her rhetoric and wanted mutants either moved out of the city or exterminated like cockroaches. Others simply didn't care for either side of the story; all they wanted was to listen to a great speech. Then the minority, surprisingly consisting of mostly of the older and experienced in the political field, felt that Farrah became too extreme and would evolve into the next Adolf Hitler if not dealt with. Some of them stopped to eye two very strange individuals sitting in the middle of the crowd.

"That's th' worst wig I've ever seen." Casey whispered to the woman next to him, pointing at the gaudy black wig on her head. "Ya look like Morticia Addams or somethin'."

Cheyloe grunted and lightly smacked him on the back of the head. "Hey, at least I'm not wearing a rent-a-suit. And seriously, sunglasses? Who are you, Tony Stark?" She picked up her phone and pressed the button for her new app on it, courtesy of Donatello. "Donnie, how're you guys doing?" She asked in a hushed tone.

 _"We're…almost there. It's not easy crawling through vents with a shell and a mutant chimp staring at your butt every step of the way."_ Donnie griped through the sounds of his hands thumping against the vent walls and the indignant snort given by Dr. Rockwell. _"Are you in position?"_

"We are. They're going to start any minute, so you'd better keep focused. I've got my eye out."

Cheyloe disconnected the communication feed and kept her eyes glued to the stage, waiting for Farrah to show her heavily-made-up face and waiting for someone to restrain her from cutting it to pieces…

* * *

 _Statue of Liberty_

Raphael rushed up the winding stairs inside the beloved monument as April and Anna trailed behind him. After having to be in that cramped T-Sub with all of them complaining about pedaling the stupid thing without help, they didn't even care if they encountered tourists inside at this point. To their confusion, they found no one, not even any maintenance workers or security guards. Perhaps they all went to listen in on the big show coming up. If only they knew about the REAL show about to happen, and if they were in good hearing distance, they'd get it, too. They didn't have time to be spectators, however. They had to plant this bomb and take down anyone who stood in their way.

"Faster, you two!" The temperamental turtle called in a huff. "We gotta blow it up before anyone finds us!"

"We're going as fast as we can!" April panted, clutching the bomb to her chest and trying not to drop it on the stairs.

Anna didn't say anything for a moment, but right as they got to a circular walkway where a former Kraang facility stood collecting dust and mildew, she stopped dead in her tracks. A pain echoed through her head, coupled with vibrations that felt like the hum of machines…and not from the inactive machines surrounding them.

"Raphael, April, stop!" Once the two skidded to a halt and prepared to ask what the deal was, Anna held her hand up and glanced around suspiciously. "…We're not alone."

April felt a twinge of discomfort resonate in her skull, knowing now that Anna was correct. There were many presences around them, but one stood out. The others felt inorganic, lifeless, yet humming with energy…the other made the strong smell of blood permeate her nostrils and make her want to vomit. Before she could voice her warning, a group of Foot Bots emerged from above, blades drawn. All of them halted for a moment, but the robots were the first to make a move. Fortunately, the three of them came prepared.

While Raph plunged the prongs of his sai into the Foot Bots and April sliced two to pieces with her tessen, Anna focused herself as she telekinetically lifted two of them into the air and immediately clenched her hands into fists. The helpless Foot Bots suddenly crumpled into rough balls of scrap metal as a result, and plummeted to the floor. This was an easy battle…it was too easy. Anna realized that thought too late when she and Raphael suddenly seized up and fell to their knees. That left April, inexperienced in both ninjitsu and psychic powers compared to them, at the mercy of the figure emerging from behind a shut-off computer console.

" _Mon petit fleur_ …" Sang spoke smoothly, voice like a mix of velvet and oil, holding his hand out to the frightened redhead, "Be a good girl and hand over that little trinket…I promise I won't hurt them much if you do."

"April, go to the distributor!" Raph shouted in a strained voice, gritting his teeth. "We'll be fine! Just go!"

April furiously shook her head. "I'm not leaving either of you!"

Anna mustered enough strength to move her head in the redhead's direction. "A-April, he can only hold two of us at a time! You have to go NOW!"

"I am getting impatient, April." Sang warned, moving his hand and making Raph draw his sai against his will and get to his feet. When the turtle involuntarily started walking towards April, the man added, "Make the right choice."

Before Raph could watch in horror as his arm started coming down towards the girl, they watched as Sang was violently flung backwards by an invisible force…that force being Anna herself. The older woman broke free from the invisible strings and narrowed her eyes at the man lying on the floor. She sighed and turned to the others to say, "Go deal with the distributor. I'll deal with our guest."

With that soft command, the turtle and redhead bolted for the top of the statue. They just prayed they would destroy the machine in time and be back to help their friend…

* * *

 _The Chrysler Building_

Michelangelo collapsed on the observation deck of the building with a sigh, sweat beaded on his forehead and ragged breaths exiting his lungs. Not long after, Leatherhead clawed his way up after his friend and followed suit in collapsing in exhaustion. The climb was tenuous, even with grappling hooks and clawed gloves helping them along the way. They didn't exactly have the privilege of taking the stairs or the elevator. A second later, they realized someone was missing in the group. Where on earth was Kaitlyn? A short few seconds passed before they saw Kaitlyn step out onto the observation deck, not a single drop of sweat on her body.

"H-Hey…" Mikey panted as his lungs burned. "H-How come y-you…aren't tired?"

Kaitlyn only offered a nonchalant shrug. "Took th' elevator, then climbed just one flight 'a stairs. I smoke, remember?" She reached behind her and undid the strap holding their designated bomb. "Okay, let's find that piece 'a crap, blow it ta bits, an' get outta 'ere."

The freckled turtle and alligator got to their feet, still breathing in breathes that burned less and less. At least they didn't smoke like Kaitlyn did, or they would probably fall off the building and die from intense lung pain, and becoming puddles on the pavement. Mikey pushed the morbid thought aside and scouted around for the machine. No sight of it on the edges, or on the very top, but a growl from Leatherhead made him look right above them…and right there, nestled on the upper edge of the building, was the distributor.

"There it is!" Mikey beamed, suddenly yanking the explosive device from the strong woman's grip. He madly climbed up Leatherhead's back and perched himself on his shoulders as he added, "Okay, Leatherhead'll give me a little boost, then I'll use my awesome grappling hook to get up there, plant this, and then…KABOOM! Bye-bye, distributor!"

While Mikey went on with his enthusiasm over blowing something up, Kaitlyn snuck a side-glance at Leatherhead as she murmured, "Don't let 'im get 'is hands on any other bombs."

Leatherhead didn't have time to think of why Michelangelo needed a boost, because the small turtle already started stepping on the scales of his head. The freckled turtle, with the bomb secure under his arm, readily aimed his grappling gun with his free hand, about to fire, when a piece of bone flew and cut him on the back of the hand. He immediately dropped his grappling gun and studied the bleeding gash in shock, until a low, gravelly chuckle broke him from his stupor. He, Leatherhead, and Kaitlyn turned and saw…

"…Rahzar."

The dog mutant grinned evilly, and extended his arms to show he wasn't alone. On either side of him, much to the others' chagrin, appeared Bebop and Rocksteady. This wasn't right…did they know they were coming? Or was it just a coincidence that they were here, probably guarding this thing? Mikey felt panic arise inside of him, and it couldn't be quelled by having Leatherhead and Kaitlyn protectively standing over him. What could he do to avoid a fight? Did they even know what they were doing, or what was about to happen?

"What're you planning to do with that little bomb, runt?" Rahzar asked in a snide tone. "Don't tell me you were actually gonna blow that thing up! You're supposed to be the dumb one!"

Mikey ignored the stinging jab, instead focusing on trying to talk some sense into them. "Don't you guys know what that's for!? It's gonna release this stuff and kill everyone that isn't a superhuman! Farrah's been planning this since day one, and you're gonna keep buying her lies, Bradford!?"

The mutant dog recoiled slightly from the turtle, the one who once idolized him, using his real name. That faded quickly with an indifferent snort. "What does it matter? That lady can do whatever she wants; the only thing I care about is cracking your shell open once and for all!"

So, not even that could get through to him. Mikey knew what might, and he quickly withdrew a small glass tube filled with precious retromutagen from his belt. Rahzar, Bebop, and Rocksteady stared in shock at the substance they craved, and the enemy holding it hostage from them. "If you guys help us destroy that thing, we'll turn you back into humans, just like you want. I know you guys still want this…and if I were you, I wouldn't pass it up."

Leatherhead and Kaitlyn quietly protested his judgment, but Mikey knew what he was doing. He watched the three Foot mutants silently decide what to do, and Rahzar decided to voice his decision first. "We'll take up your offer…but let's see what you look like as a little ol' pet-store turtle first!"

Oh, snap…

* * *

 _Foot HQ_

Leonardo peered through his telescope to find the entrance to the old church surrounded by Purple Dragons. If the Purple Dragons were involved, that meant Xever ordered them to play guard-dog in case they got unwanted guests. He could feel Karai tensing up; the thought of confronting the man who lied to you all your life again would make anyone testy. A calming hand on the shoulder from Splinter stopped her from bolting and charging like a reckless bull, and a shake of his head solidified the easing tension. Slash and Pigeon Pete stood behind them, sitting quietly and awaiting their next move. All of them anxiously awaited the public broadcast to air, and to hear Donatello overpower Farrah's words with his own. Any minute now…

"What does it look like, Leonardo?" Splinter asked cautiously.

The blue-masked turtle sheathed his telescope after observing for another solid minute. "They've cleared out. Let's get inside and go from there. Come on!"

The moment Leo jumped to the next rooftop, the others followed. Since there wasn't a distributor to destroy here, as far as they knew, all they had to do was break in and deal with any Foot Clan mutants and, with their new discovery, Purple Dragons. Of course, that carried the risk of coming face-to-face with Shredder himself. Despite everything he did to them and kept doing to them, even they knew he deserved to know the truth about his so-called 'partner'. Once Donnie made his magic happen, he would find out…and they already that 'mad' would be an understatement of his reaction. Once he got his shock over with, they could either fight him or let him duke it out with the woman in case she came running.

"So what are we doing? Are we just going to waltz through the front door like that?" Karai asked skeptically. "Even if it's unguarded outside NOW, there's no telling who's on the other side of the door."

"We can't risk going in through the Throne Room; Shredder could be sitting in there watching the conference." Leo argued, hand already positioned on the hilt of his katana. "We'll just have to take down his goons so he doesn't have any back-up."

"Shredder has never been one to necessarily need back-up unless he is desperate." Splinter deadpanned, still haunted by the time his former brother almost killed his sons, and all by himself. "We must exercise extreme caution, even if we fight the weaker links."

The path to the front door remained clear, and while they were relieved, Leo could feel something wasn't exactly right. Why was this suddenly getting easy? When he signaled the others to follow him to the doors, a heavily-accented voice greeted, "And where are you heading off to?"

Just as he feared. Leo and the group turned to see Xever, Fishface, himself. Right beside him were Hun and the Purple Dragons, along with a few Foot Bots. Leo felt foolish for being about to charge with his guard down, but he found himself thankful for the feeling of dread he had. He quickly unsheathed a katana and pointed it at their 'greeters'. "What, no Tiger Claw to back you up this time? I guess you can't always have him fight your battles."

"He and Master Shredder are watching to make sure Rosenberg seals the deal with New York's big-wigs." Xever chuckled, flipping a knife in his hand with ease. "If you think you're going to take him down, you are sorely mistaken, little turtle."

The blue-masked turtle gave a chuckle of his own, narrowing his ocean-blue eyes. "Shredder's so desperate to get Karai, I mean, Miwa, back, he'd be gullible enough to listen to Farrah. Just wait until you hear the ugly truth; it's about as ugly as you."

"We will see about that, freaks!"

With that snappish declaration, both groups immediately charged into battle.

* * *

 _CLANG_

The two middle-aged men manning the audio booth abruptly turned around to see what made the ear-piercing noise. Before they could ask what was going on, two fists-a large green one and a very hairy one-came crashing into their faces, rendering them unconscious. Donatello quickly procured two pieces of cloth to cover their eyes; no need for them to actually be 'seen'. Once the two limp men were gently scooted to the corner of the cramped room, the purple-masked turtle quickly went to work on what he needed to do.

"Cheyloe and Casey are in the audience where they should be." Rockwell noted, eyes locked onto the two undercover as they sat fidgeting in their seats."

"Good." Donnie answered simply. He quickly worked on connecting a thin cable between the audio control panel and his T-Phone. He pressed a few buttons, tongue out in concentration, before a green symbol appeared on the small screen, and a huge smile plastered itself on his face. "All right, I've got full control now! I just have to press this button and the mic will go straight to me!"

Donnie and Rockwell immediately heard the audience quiet down and watched as the lights dimmed. The curtains suddenly opened to reveal a lone podium, but the singular spotlight suddenly shining on it drew the audience into thunderous applause. Just a moment later, their applause grew deafening when their proclaimed heroine, their answer, their _savior_ walked calmly to the podium, giving smiles and waves to the people now chanting her name. And these people were supposed to have class. Everyone except Cheyloe and Casey chanted her name like a spell, and they kept themselves from throwing something at that smug face of hers…at least until the time was right.

"Farrah, we love you!" A socialite shouted.

"FARRAH!" A city council member cheered.

The cinnamon-haired woman held up her hand, instantly calming the spectators down into a hush. She tapped the microphone on the podium, connected to the hacked sound system, as she cleared her throat and began speaking, "Good evening, my dearest people of New York. I'm very glad to see so many new faces in here tonight, especially that of your government. First, let me say that I'm honored that you've taken time out of your busy schedules to hear me out." She laughed joyfully when she heard an audience member shout adoration. "Please, settle down, I'm happy to see you as well. Since we have new faces here, and around the city as well…"

Her eyes immediately went to the cameras surrounding the stage, recording her every move and motion of her mouth, "Allow me to share my story. You see, when I was much younger, I lived quietly with my beloved parents on a farm outside of Yorkshire. Our quiet and happy solitude, however, was destroyed…the night the mutant monsters attacked."

The microphone and speakers suddenly screeched and squealed, making the spectators and Farrah instantly cover their ears to block it out. Once the noise ended, Farrah prepared herself to apologize for 'technical difficulties', when a new voice emerged from the air.

 _"That's a lie, Farrah! Or better yet, how about I call you 'Nail'?"_

The audience members started whispering amongst themselves in shock, even dread; who was this? Farrah, however, kept her cool. Despite going through her head how the turtle found out about that little nickname, she crossed her arms behind her back and glanced around the theatre in curiosity. "Well, hello, Donatello. I do admit your methodology is sketchy, but it's nice for you to drop in. Is there something you'd like to share with us, my dear?"

There was a pause, and Donnie kept himself calm as he spoke through his T-Phone again, _"People of New York, I know all of you are watching and listening to this. I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but Farrah isn't the person she claims she is; she's been lying to you and using you this whole time! Mutants haven't been responsible for the attacks and murders across the city…all of them were frame-ups headed by Farrah herself! The claw marks at the crime scenes weren't caused by mutants…they were made by Farrah!"_ He paused and offered up with a heated tone, _"Farrah Rosenberg is an evil SUPERHUMAN!"_

The spectators started gasping and whispering; what was this Donatello person thinking, accusing Farrah of such things? Farrah, meanwhile, only gave a smirk and stared upward. "What proof do you have of this, Donatello? None of these people could back up your outrageous story because they've all been killed by wayward mutants. One of them was your friend, wasn't he? If only that poor boy didn't associate with you…"

"Except that 'poor boy' is 'ere, alive an' kickin'!"

Farrah's eyes widened, and she and the audience members remained wordless as Casey abruptly stood up and yanked off his sunglasses. Cheyloe sat next to him, still disguised, her gun hidden underneath the fake purse on her lap. Once the hockey player knew he had their attention, he spoke up, "Farrah stood by as Shred-Head stabbed me clear in th' stomach an' left me for dead! I do remember her sayin' she had to look good for th' cameras, though, right before I got pushed into th' ocean! And ya know who saved my life? Mutants."

"C-Casey Jones." Farrah stuttered, much to her surprise. "I'm…so glad you're alive. Please understand, you must have been delirious from blood loss; I would never stand by and let someone hurt another human being. Besides, he is just one person. What other outlandish claims could they come up with just to smear my name?"

Just like that, most of the audience went back to giving her the benefit of the doubt. Donnie expected this, however, and decided to pull out the big guns. _"If you think all that's bad, wait until you hear this. Farrah's been building up on getting your full trust for a reason. Once she has it, she plans on using a growing amount of distributors she's set up around the city to unleash a radioisotope…one that'll forcefully mutate all of you into superhumans. You'd think that would be cool, but if you're not built for it, then things don't go so well. Exhibit A, right here."_

There was a large projector screen set up behind Farrah, and unfortunately for her Donnie hacked it, too. A few seconds later, the still image of the forcefully-mutated man, right after his body caved in on itself, appeared for the audience to see. Most went white as sheets, but a few actually started vomiting at the graphic sight. There were a few people sending glares in the direction of Farrah, demanding an explanation. Not surprisingly, she had one.

"Photoshop exists, Donatello." Farrah chided playfully, though the anger inside her grew. "You'll have to do better than that."

 _"I figured you'd say that. That's why I've got the pièce de résistance. You know the story Farrah spins that her parents were killed by mutants? Well, that story's false, too. Her parents ARE dead, yes, but mutants didn't kill them…SHE did."_ From his position in the booth, Donnie could see Farrah tensing up, drawing more ire from the now-suspicious audience. _"They couldn't accept you developing powers, did they? They called you a bunch of names, and you lost it. After that, you got the idea that superhumans were better; they were the master race. Then, because of your lust for power, you had a seven year-old boy murdered in cold blood, depriving the superhumans who just wanted their humanity back of the means to return to a sense of normalcy."_

Seeing Farrah grow even more ridged, he decided to put the final nail in the coffin. _"You kill innocent people, try to make the city destroy itself, attempt to eradicate the human race through mutation, physically and emotionally scar the woman I love…all because Mommy and Daddy called you a 'monster'."_

The cinnamon-haired woman stood frozen, the murmurs of the audience growing deafening. Now, they all started asking questions, asking whether or not 'the mutant' told the truth and why she wasn't saying more to defend herself. All she heard was that one word spoken by Donatello; the very same word her mother and father called her the moment she confessed her powers. Did that old man spill everything? Was he really still out to stop her grandiose scheme?

 _"Cheyloe, NOW!"_

Without hesitation, the brunette slung throwing needles at the sprinklers above, causing water to cascade below onto the audience and Farrah. The latter tried to shield her face at first, but her unbridled anger at being exposed made her glare at the wig-clad Chey in the audience with contempt…not noticing the makeup dripping down her face and exposing what was underneath.

"Are those metal patches on her skin!?"

"She really IS a superhuman!"

"The mutant's telling the truth!"

Sure enough, scattered across her now-naked face were large blotches of discolored skin, and gleam of the lights above reflecting off them proved they were of a metallic quality. Farrah Rosenberg, a woman arrogant about her superhuman blood, worked so hard to hide the disfigurement that came with her powers. Everything fell apart around her, and this would do her in. A lopsided grin and narrow eyes proved she finally cracked.

"…Well played, Donatello and Doggett…well _played_."

Right before she could be interrogated by the irate audience members, Farrah used the growing chaos to quickly disappear behind the curtain for backstage. Some people attempted to get on the stage and chase after her, but quickly had second thoughts when they remembered their so-called heroine was capable of killing them. Casey and Cheyloe saw Donnie and Rockwell disappear from the audio booth, prompting them to leave as well and give chase to the woman. After all, they knew where her likely destination was.

Foot Headquarters.

* * *

An armored fist came slamming down on the armrest of the large throne, startling the humanoid tiger nearby with a jump. The man sitting in the throne felt his fists shaking, both from the pain of hitting rock and the anger seeping out of his soul. He thought the live broadcast from the Broadway Theatre would be nothing more than milk and honey words swaying the state government into weakness. Instead, he got a heap of ugly truth thrown into his face, and all of it from that weakling turtle Donatello. He knew she was responsible for the murders, but knowing she plotted a mass-mutation scheme behind his back, playing him for a fool…no one did that to Oroku Saki and lived.

"The people outside are growing furious, Master Shredder." Tiger Claw noted grimly, taking in the sight of faraway people throwing down their Farrah-support signs in disgust and ripping off buttons. "To think she plotted such a thing…"

"…Their anger is weak compared to _mine_." Shredder thundered lowly, getting up from his throne and walking to the television screen in front of him. After staring at it in silence, he unleashed his gauntlet blades and violently stabbed the screen into darkness. "She will be crawling back here in desperation. Once she arrives, we can make her the perfect test subject for Stockman."

"The Turtles and their allies will likely follow her here, if they haven't arrived already." The tiger mutant warned.

Shredder narrowed his eyes and stared at the streets below, not knowing some of his enemies already engaged his forces right outside his door. "…Let them come. Once I'm done with Rosenberg, I'll vent the rest of my anger on THEM."

* * *

 **That's the end of Part 1! At the start of the chapter, the code names the Turtles used with each other are inspired by the code names given in Sunny Lighter's "Same Difference", as they're the Japanese versions of their name meanings. Like I said before, the truth reveal was inspired by the scene in Legend of Korra when Korra exposes Amon's lies and his identity as Noatok. And, as you guessed, Shredder is more than mad. Now, the second chapter will have the conclusions to the distributor battles as well as a twist ending before Part 3. Will everyone make it out alive? Who will die and who will be hit with retromutagen? Stay tuned to find out!**


	46. Endgame, Part 2

**Author's Note: Finally, I have another chapter! Now when you read this, I must warn you: I'm not the best at writing fight scenes. Just bear with me on this, okay, because I'm working on doing better on writing fight scenes. Anyway, the battles over the distributors will conclude and the final confrontation with Shredder and Farrah will begin. Please read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 46: Endgame, Part 2

Michelangelo almost dropped the vials of retromutagen on the observation deck from pure shock. Here he just offered his enemies, one of them his former idol, a chance to be human again, and they wanted to de-mutate him instead? The laughter from the three Foot mutants passed over him, and he chastised himself for thinking they would go clean just from an offer.

"C'mon, baby-face!" Bebop obnoxiously demanded. "Hand over that magic potion!"

"Let's make him puny little turtle first, then we be human again, comrades!" Rocksteady bellowed.

Leatherhead immediately snarled and got down on all fours, positioning himself in front of the freckled turtle like a guard dog. "You will not use the retromutagen on Michelangelo, you cowards! Go near him, and I will rip you in HALF!"

Mikey kept up with his betrayed stared, and the more he heard the Foot mutants laugh at his generous offer, the more his anger rose to Raph-levels. He hoped if he just offered them the retromutagen, he would avoid a fight all-together and get them on their side. However, he thought of the old saying…fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Rahzar already fooled him before as Chris Bradford, and he certainly wasn't going to let himself be fooled again.

"Y'know, I was trying to be nice." Mikey sighed, shoving the vials back in the pack on his belt. "But if you're gonna keep being jerks and wanting to fight, then we'll give you a fight! Whaddya say, guys?"

Kaitlyn smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Sounds like a good idea ta me. But first…"

Mikey suddenly found himself picked up around the waist by the strong woman. Before he could ask what she was doing or even protest, she used her strength to throw him straight up in the air, making him scream the entire way. Once he saw himself headed for the distributor, he realized what her plan was: have him plant the bomb while she and Leatherhead held off the evil mutants. Seeing himself now way above the distributor, he suddenly flapped his free arm frantically in order to get a softer landing. Finally, after grabbing the glass wall and painfully skidding down, he managed to land on the ledge, and right next to the machine.

"Plant that bomb, Mikey! Get down before it blows, too!" Kaitlyn suddenly grabbed Rocksteady by the horn and shouted, "Bring it on, ya bastards!"

The strong woman suddenly slammed Rocksteady into the wall, catching Bebop in the path and flattening him against the glass and stone as well. Leatherhead decided to take Rahzar, grabbing the dog mutant's arm with his strong jaws and shaking him like a rag doll. Mikey took the moment to watch the battle below before he remembered his mission. He took the bomb in his grasp and hooked it to the distributor, pressing a few buttons on the device before a neon-blue light flashed slowly. The orange-banded turtle knew to make himself scare when the flashing got faster and faster, and the moment he decided to jump for the observation deck, the light went off and a surge of electricity coursed through the distributor.

A bubbling sound and a billow of smoke later, the device activated and blew the machine to smithereens. The force of the blast threw Mikey down faster towards the deck, but he grabbed onto another ledge at the last minute. At the same time, Rahzar managed to sink his claws into Leatherhead's snout with a roar, and Bebop got up in time to fire a stun blast at Kaitlyn. Rocksteady remained down, but the alligator and superhuman were feeling the burn of the battle. Mikey knew he had to do something, and his mind went to the retromutagen vials and the gun in his belt.

"Come on down, Mikey!" Rahzar taunted with a cackle. "Wanna feel the pain with your friends, too?"

Mikey gritted his teeth as he dangled from the upper ledge. "It's not gonna matter what you do, Rahzar! Shredder cares no more about you than everyone else under him! You're supposed to be a hero to everybody, but you're just a no-good creep like that walking can opener!"

"Did it take you that long to figure it out? You really ARE the stupid one!"

 _SLASH_

Rahzar leapt up to sink his teeth into the turtle, but Mikey, now seething from the 'stupid' accusation, found himself unleashing his kurisagama blade and slicing the dog mutant in the face. Rahzar howled in pain and couldn't help falling backwards towards the observation deck, but the turtle watched in horror as the dog mutant rolled backwards, crashed through the glass and metal barrier, and fell straight for the streets below.

"Rahzar!"

Mikey's call for his enemy went unanswered. The orange-masked turtle squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered, not noticing his grip on the ledge steadily slipping. He didn't want it to happen; he didn't actually want to kill anybody. Splinter always taught him if you killed someone in self-defense, then he would be justified…but it still didn't make it feel any good. He wanted to leave Rahzar alive to face police, because at least he'd still be alive. But now…

"Mikey!"

Mikey looked down to see Kaitlyn now entangled with Bebop, holding the warthog in a chokehold. Leatherhead found himself held against the wall by a now-conscious Rocksteady, clawing at the rhino and snapping his jaws in a hurry. Just the utterance of his name told him what he needed to do now. Pulling himself up to the ledge, he loaded the gun given to him by Donnie with two vials of retromutagen. Taking a deep breath and trying to push away his growing guilt, he squeezed the trigger and closed his eyes after hearing them reach their targets.

Bebop and Rocksteady stopped their struggles when they saw the dart-like vials sticking out of their arms, draining the precious orange liquid into their bloodstreams. Leatherhead and Kaitlyn quickly let them go the moment they started writhing in agony. For Mikey, he finally jumped down and watched in silence as the former mutants regained their human, albeit naked, forms. They got what they wanted after all. The freckled turtle leaned against the alligator and wiped away a single tear on his cheek. Kaitlyn saw this and joined Leatherhead in holding him close, trying to calm him after what just transpired.

"…I-I didn't want him to die, honest." Mikey murmured, frowning deeply. "I know he was the enemy, but I didn't wanna kill him. I wanted him to go to jail and face what he did…"

"Ya acted in self-defense, Mikey. That's all ya could do." Kaitlyn sighed, patting his upper shell in comfort. "C'mon, little guy. We gotta get movin'."

The three hurried in making their way down the building, ignoring the smoldering debris above and the unconscious criminals still on the observation deck.

* * *

"We're almost there! We gotta hurry!"

April heeded Raphael's commanded and picked up her speed. She almost tripped on the metal steps and dropped their precious cargo, but the red-masked turtle quickly caught her and hurried her along. They had to blow that piece of crap machine up quick so they could aid Anna in battling Sang. Even with her abilities, she wouldn't last forever against him. Just blow the thing and go, simple as that.

"Up there, where the torch is!" April shouted, pointing upward.

Raph shot his head up and saw a machine that wasn't there the last time. Target sighted. Unleashing his grappling gun, he shot straight for the gated torch platform and waited for the hook to latch on. Once it did, he grabbed April and held her by the waist before pressing another button and letting the line pull them up. The redhead looked down, hearing the battle between the two superhumans continuing without rest, and looked back up at the determined face of Raphael. His confident mask hid what was really underneath: he was just as frantic to succeed and just as scared as she was. Things would be fine once they took out Sang, got to Foot Headquarters, and beat Shredder and Farrah…if Shredder didn't kill Farrah first.

Once both of them got on the platform of the torch, Raph let April go and pushed her forward. "Go plant that thing, Ape! I gotta help Anna deal with that freak!"

April's eyes widened. "Raph, we're going back together! I'm not going to let that guy take control of you, especially if he finds out Anna has retromutagen on her person!"

"It's a risk I gotta take. I'm not gonna sit by and let that creep do what he wants to you. I don't know what I'd do if that guy had his way with you and I could've prevented it from happening. So that's what I'm doing."

"Raph-"

The redhead found herself cut off when the red-masked turtle, without warning, wrapped her in a warm embrace and pressed her close to his plastron. She could feel his heart pounding like a drum, the tremble of his muscular arms, his unsteady breath against her hair. He didn't have to say anything more; just his body language alone told her that he truly feared for her in this final battle. If anything, now and during the past month or so he became just as protective of her as Donnie always was. Hanging with her, confiding in her, crying on her shoulder, and vice-versa. Did he-

Raph finally let go, and he saw April gasp when he wiped stray moisture away from his green eyes. "No matter what happens, I'll be fine, April. You will be, too. Now go…and if I don't make it back, tell everyone I love 'em."

Once Raph disappeared back inside the statue, April had to hide the tears of dread accumulating in her eyes while she worked on setting up the bomb. The red-masked turtle appeared in the abandoned Kraang lab and saw Anna once again fling Sang against the wall in a psychic rage. A part of him wondered if April would eventually grow powerful enough to do that, but the other part of him panicked when the other superhuman suddenly forced Anna's body into a locked stance. Then Anna's hands started snaking around her own neck, and Raph quickly flung his sai at Sang, slicing his shoulder and bouncing off the opposite wall.

Sang yelped, turning glare at the turtle with venom. "Reptilian freak!"

Right before Sang could unleash his fury on the turtle, the entire room shook from an explosion above. Anna gave a sigh of relief, and Raph smirked while staring above. Sang cursed, fearing what he would receive should Farrah learn of his failure to secure the machine. He would just take his frustration out on these two and that little redhead. Shaking off his shock, he raised both of his hands and watched Anna and Raph seize up…then he noticed an orange vial drop from Anna's uniform.

"Oh…and what is _this_?" The French superhuman stared curiously at the vial, a cold smirk on his face. "The fly-man mentioned a substance that can turn mutants normal…so why don't we make this reptile small enough for a tank, eh, Anna?"

Anna watched in horror as her hand grabbed for the vial and her feet started moving in Raphael's direction. Raph's eyes widened, and though he knew she was doing this against her will he couldn't help but want to bury himself in his shell. No one noticed April, slightly singed, appearing from above and hiding behind a computer console. Sang only grinned menacingly, ignoring the suddenly slew of words Anna began shouting at him.

"Sang, you don't have to do this!" She pleaded. "Farrah won't see you as anything more than her one successful experiment! Don't you hate it that she stole your life from you!?"

"What life?" The man countered confidently. "Before my powers, I was no one; just a husk having to meet the expectations of others. Thanks to Farrah…for once, I'M the once making the expectations for others."

April watched from her hiding place and saw the how close that retromutagen got to Raph. Just another few steps from Anna, and the needle would be right in the skin of his shoulder, turning him into a harmless pet turtle. Then there was Sang, laughing all the way and twitching his hands like the mad puppet master he was. His grating laughter and the fear in her friends' eyes made something inside her break. Her eyes narrowed in white-hot rage, she roughly gritted her teeth, and found herself sprinting from her hiding place. Right as the male superhuman was about to deliver his final trick, the redhead dashed behind him and grabbed his head, causing him to shout in agony and buckle to his knees.

Anna and Raph found themselves freed from their bonds, the former stuffing the retromutagen back in her belt, and stood frozen as April kept up her attack on Sang. The redhead's eyes were white, almost glowing, and an aura surrounded her hands. Just a moment later, the male superhuman fell to his side and stared dead-eyed into the void. April panted heavily as her eyes shifted back to normal, and she suddenly realized that whatever she did, it left Sang a vegetable.

"What…" April breathed out in shock. "W-What did I just do?"

Raph stood back and gulped, "I…I think ya actually fried his brain."

Anna took a moment to look at Sang, who twitched every now and then, before sighing and stating quietly, "…We'd better catch up to the others. Our job is done. The sub will be too slow…let's use an alternative method."

The red-masked turtle felt a chill go down his shell. "And what exactly is this 'alternative method'?"

"Well, you two should hold onto each other and me…and make sure when this is done, you have all your organs."

"Wait, what-"

* * *

"GO!"

Leonardo and his group charged straight for the Foot and Purple Dragons guarding Shredder's towering lair. The one he decided to engage was none-other than Fishface. He could see Karai focusing her sights on Hun, swiftly shifting into her serpentine form and lunging at the gang leader. Splinter, Slash, and Pigeon Pete busied themselves with the Foot Bots and Dragon grunts attempting to swarm them. While their chances seemed decent, it would be even better once the others arrived. Leo thought of this as he dodged the venomous fangs of Fishface, swiping at the fish mutant with his blades, until a figure above caught his attention.

"It's Farrah!" The lead turtle shouted, watching a frantic figure leap from the rooftops and disappear into the top level of the building. "She's here!"

"Don't get distracted by minor details, _tartaruga_!" Fishface chided before making a clean swipe at Leo's cheek.

Leo stepped back and cupped his cheek, feeling warm blood coating it. If he could get this guy to hold still long enough, he could inject him with retromutagen. Fishface wasn't the type to hold still, however, and Leo knew he just had to hit him until he went down. Karai fared about the same, no thanks to Hun's flexibility. The others fared better, but that was because the grunts were of lower skill. Where were the others when they needed them?

"Everyone knows the truth now! Farrah's been planning on stabbing all of you in the back since day one!" Leo shouted, cutting into the fish mutant's cybernetic legs with a quick swipe. "Are you really going to stand by and let her get away with it!?"

"We only do what Shredder demands. If those claims are true, we let him deal with her, as he would want!" Fishface sneered. "But that won't keep us from killing all of you!"

Before the Foot mutant could deliver another blow, several blasts appeared and blew through several Foot Bots. Following that were throwing needles and explosions from photon pucks coming from above. On one building, the blasts originated from the duo of Fugitoid and Andromeda, both armed with blasters. On another building, the needles and pucks revealed Donatello, Casey, Cheyloe, and Rockwell. Fishface and Hun noticed them and immediately paled. But it was only going to get worse for them. The proof came when two Purple Dragon grunts were thrown into a nearby brick building and left human-shaped indents. Who threw them? Kaitlyn, of course, with Michelangelo and Leatherhead following behind.

"You made it!" Leo cheered, but stopped when he noticed three heads absent. "Wait, where are…"

His questioned went answered when a large flash of light exploded before them, revealing a tired-looking Anna and a screaming Raphael and April clinging to each other. They immediately stopped and let go once they saw the eyes on them, and diverted their attention to the ponytailed brunette.

"This is why…I don't use teleportation often." Anna mumbled, collapsing to her knees.

Cheyloe immediately hopped from the building to check on her friend, and everyone else on the rooftops hopped down to engage their foes. Once she reached her friend, she tried helping her up only to have her hands shrugged off. Anna looked up at her with an exhausted smile and stated, "Go and storm the castle…I'm in no shape to fight right now. I'll get somewhere safe."

"I'll watch after 'er." Kaitlyn offered, cracking her knuckles and showing her teeth to the enemy. "Us an' th' Mutanimals can take these guys easy…th' rest of ya go and kick Shreddy and Farrah's asses. 'Sides, Don-Boy's gonna need 'is nurse."

Though she didn't want to leave the others behind, the brunette nodded and headed with the group infiltrating Foot HQ. Fugitoid and Andromeda stayed behind as well to engage the growing number of Foot Bots, as well as Foot Bots that resembled the human form of Chris Bradford; the thought of the man made Mikey cringe. The Turtles, Splinter, Karai, April, Casey, and Cheyloe entered the building, turning back one last time to see everyone else fighting the outside forces.

"Are they gonna be in the throne room?" Raph asked, dashing ahead.

"They'll probably be in the lab, in case things are going south! Farrah might try something funny to fix things!" Donnie replied as he went for the passageway leading to Baxter Stockman's lab. "For all we know, there could be another distributor in there!"

"Let us make haste, then." Splinter commanded, leading the way alongside Leo and Karai before the others followed.

Right as Donnie started heading for the stairs, he felt someone grab his arm. He turned around and saw Chey, who looked terrified for justifiable reasons and afraid to go down. His hand immediately clasped hers, and their eyes locked in a moment of silence. He admitted he was scared, too, but he wouldn't stand by and allow Shredder or Farrah to have any lingering free reign. No matter what happened, they would be stopped.

"…We need to be careful." Chey finally spoke, her voice hushed.

Donnie gave a calm nod. "I know." A pause, then the genius turtle gulped and went on, "Cheyloe…if something happens that we don't make it out alive, I just…I want to..."

Before Chey could ask what he wanted to say, he pulled her close and planted a big, deep kiss on her lips. He knew she was taken aback, but it wore off quick when she returned it. If this indeed would be there last moment together, may as well use it to show how much they loved each other. That and give them a good memory to enjoy if they ended up dying. It didn't last long when he heard the others call for them, so he forced himself to break away. His confidence returned, and he gripped the brunette's hand tightly, his other hand on his Bo staff.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Ruined…ruined, ruined…RUINED!"

Farrah wouldn't remain alone for long, but she no longer cared. The calm demeanor she wore in public and around her co-conspirator couldn't be recovered for her rage, and the slashes on the Plexiglas doors and metal walls indicated the extent of her fury. She had the people of New York eating out of her palm, and then that mutant and weak superhuman came and threw a wrench in the system. She should have killed them when they were first captured instead of letting that idiot Saki interrogate them. Now not only would she have to deal with them, but she figured that crazed ninja saw the broadcast and would be irate. Still, she didn't care…she didn't care anymore. She didn't care if he got mad, she didn't care if people hunted her down for answers or retribution, she didn't care if the mutants chased her in here…she just wanted to hurt somebody.

The woman leaned over the computer console and panted, head down and hair cloaking her metallic skin patches. Despite being so proud of her superhuman status, she hated the cost of it: the marring of her face and other parts of her body. Sometimes, however, a price had to be paid for power, physical disfigurement being one of them. While she gathered her thoughts and rubbed more makeup away from the patches, footsteps could be heard. She paid no heed.

"I could forgive you attempting to harm Karai…but attempting to mutate me behind my back? Do you expect that kind of treachery to go unpunished, woman?"

Shredder expected her to turn around and insist that it was all lies spouted by desperate mutants. Instead, he saw her shudder with laughter, turning her head ever so slightly and muttering, "…It took you that long to figure it out? I guess that desperation to have the girl back has made you so gullible. A girl that was never your daughter to begin with."

The armor-clad ninja narrowed his eyes and rumbled, "She IS my daughter."

"Why so desperate to keep her, Saki? Is it because she reminds you of the woman you killed? And you keep telling everyone you loved her, too." Farrah smirked, her face growing slowly more deranged. "Your lackeys talk too much; I know she's the rat's child."

"You are no different. You slaughtered your own parents and killed a child." Shredder sneered underneath his mask. "I am not above such things, but you have no right to act as though you're better." The claws from his gauntlet unleashed themselves, his arm slowly moving upward to point the blades directly at the woman's face. "Enough games…time to put an end to your backstabbing schemes."

The superhuman laughed lowly and extended her nails, the miniature blades clicking against each other as she moved them. "Just what I needed…a form of release."

Before the two could engage in a fight, the door to the lab burst open with an explosion, throwing Tiger Claw and Stockman to the floor. The smoke cleared and the two would-be combatants saw a figure flipping an explosive shuriken in their fingers. To their horror…it was the Hamato Clan. Shredder locked eyes with Splinter, only gazing at Karai for a second, while Farrah shot an acid glare at Donatello and Cheyloe. Tiger Claw and Stockman got to their feet, the former letting out a roar of rage and the latter buzzing in irritation.

"It's time to end this once and for all." Leonardo boldly declared, pointing his katana blade at the two masterminds. "You two won't terrorize this city anymore."

Shredder instantly chuckled, bitterness heavy in his voice and eyes full of raging flame at his old foes. "I'm not exactly in the mood to deal with the likes of you, but since you've arrived…defeating you could quell some of my anger towards this wretch."

"By all means, take her out!" April jeered, crossing her arms. "That'll save us a load of trouble!"

Farrah let out a loud cackle. Her steely eyes locked onto the genius turtle and brunette, a menacing grin on her face as she pointed her nails at them. "You two disgust me…you just find a way to keep me from building a future for the superior. Tell me…why do you fight for the people who HATE you? No matter what you do, they won't show gratitude; they'll just keep _hating_ you."

"We know they're scared of us, but that doesn't keep us from doing the right thing!" Michelangelo interjected. "It's all we can do, even if people don't appreciate it! And thinking we're better than them makes it all for nothing!"

"Leavin' you two be is just gonna bring more pain to people!" Raph cut in, sai ready and waiting. "All 'cause ya don't ever get yer way! No wonder Tang Shen rejected you, and no wonder her parents called her a monster!"

Farrah tensed up, as did Shredder, and both decided they would put aside their fight for the moment. Anything to shut these Turtles and their allies up. "All of you must have a death wish tonight." Shredder warned, scraping his blades against the computer console. "I shall fulfill it. Even if it means I must defeat my daughter."

Karai narrowed her eyes and stood close to Splinter's side. "Don't EVER call me your daughter again."

No other words were spoken. Both groups immediately charged for each other in a battle royale. Shredder found himself focusing his sights on Donatello and Splinter. Stockman pressed a button on the console and opened a cage door. Raph, Mikey, April, and Casey watched as three newly-created Shredder mutants emerged; how many of these things did Stockman make? Leo and Karai focused their energy on Tiger Claw, which left Chey alone against Farrah. Everything ended here.

Despite being in a two-against-one battle, the armor-clad ninja decided to target who he considered the weak link: Donnie. He took notice of the vest the turtle wore, and remembered when the pitiful mutant lay strapped-down on the lab table.

"Using a measly piece of fabric to cover your injuries?" The armored ninja taunted. "Are you trying to hide your weakness that much?"

Donnie took a swing at Shredder with his staff, only to find his attack blocked quickly and his body thrown to the floor. His plastron started stinging, and he hoped he wasn't bleeding again. He could hear his father shouting at him, "Donatello, do not let him agitate you! He may see you as weak, but you are strong, my son! Fight with everything you have!"

Getting to his feet and giving a nod, Donnie quickly threw an explosive shuriken at Shredder's chest. When the device exploded, it knocked the armored ninja back and left a blackened hole in his chest armor. He watched the turtle and rat dash for the rafters above, making him growl in fury and give chase. As for Cheyloe, she busied herself frantically dodging Farrah's deadly nails, but managed to get a few nicks on her arms and neck. Just from the fury of the attacks alone, Farrah was mentally slipping, and she knew it. That didn't make her any less dangerous, however.

Raph jumped onto the shoulders of the giant Shredder mutant and stabbed his sai through its carapace. Casey launched several photon pucks, ignoring the aggravation of his wounds from overexertion, at the smaller Shredder mutant and sent it flying into one of the large cages. April swiped at the leaner Shredder mutant with her tessen, cutting off one of its large claws, before using the weapon to knock its head backwards. Mikey decided he would focus on taking down Stockman, both to ensure he didn't summon more mutants and ensure he wouldn't sneak an attack from above. He flung his kurisagama chain at the fly mutant and wrapped it around his leg, then proceeded to tie him to a nearby post so he wouldn't get away.

That left Leo and Karai with Tiger Claw. Instead of relying on her full serpent form, the kunoichi simply shifted her arms into snakes and launched them at the tiger mutant. Tiger Claw dodged the snake-heads and knocked them away, making Karai wince…until a smirk on her face caused him confusion. Seconds later, Leo leapt above her and took a swing with both swords, cutting Tiger Claw in the face and chest. Tiger Claw roared and went to grab the two, but Karai shifted her legs into a long tail and swatted him away. After he painfully crashed into the wall, the siblings seized the opportunity to charge him again.

"Stop dodging, Doggett!" Farrah shouted, grabbing Cheyloe by the wrists and slamming her against the wall a few times. "Stop running like you always do! You'll _never_ outrun me!"

Despite the ache in her body, Chey let out a growl, stared the woman down, and a burst of flame hit the other superhuman in the face. While Farrah held her face in agony, she seized the opportunity to follow Donnie's lead and head for the upper rafters even Stockman managed to break free. If they paid any attention, all would notice that the rafters suspended right above the giant globe of mutagen in the center. The others also took the hint to go above, though the only ones wary of being around that mutagen were Splinter and Karai. For the rest of them, all that mattered was winning.

Splinter succeeded in hitting a few of Shredder's pressure points, taking him to his knees. The rat stared down at his former brother with fury, but a sense of remorse hit him, making him plead, "Saki…is this what Shen would have wanted? She loved you as her own brother…and it would break her heart to see you on this path of evil. For your own sake…leave this city and work to redeem yourself."

"NO!" Shredder retorted, once again eyeing Donatello. "You took Shen from me…so I will take your weakest son from you!"

 _The weak one._

 _Weakness._

 _Weakest son._

The words sounded off over and over again in Donnie's mind. Shredder constantly told him he was the weakest in his family…and for a while, he believed him. A snide voice in his head told him to believe the words once again, but a memory got in the way.

 _I don't think you're weak._

It was the sentence Cheyloe spoke to him shortly after they first met. She told him that he was strong just for being able to survive; for having a will to live. He survived being beaten by Slash, he survived being poisoned by Karai, he survived having his plastron sliced open by Mozar. Each time, he came bouncing back stronger than ever. When his brothers before spoke words mocking his weakness, now they spoke words praising his strength in both body and mind. April and Casey could always count on him in a fight, often teaming with him. Splinter gave him wisdom and felt confident in him to take the lead in this mission. Even if he wasn't the strongest in a physical sense…he knew he was strong in the real way.

"…You don't know what weakness is, Shredder." Donatello gripped his staff tighter and kept his eyes narrowed, taking a deep breath and calming his spirit, "If anyone here is weak, it's YOU. I don't resort to killing a woman I claim to love and kidnap her child out of spite…only weak cowards do that."

That got the Shredder in a fury. When he charged with a loud snarl, Donnie readied himself and struck the man repeatedly with his staff. One blow went to the gaping hole in his armor, another went for behind his knees, and another struck him so hard on the head it sent the Kuro Kabuto flying off. Splinter stood back in awe of the strength his son displayed. Shredder shakily got to his feet and charged at the turtle once again, managing to slash him across the cheek. Donnie finally had enough, and, with a cry of determination, swung his staff at the Shredder with enough force to knock him off the platform.

At the same time, Farrah finally caught up to Cheyloe and took another swipe at her. At this point, the cinnamon-haired woman was just a thread away from being completely insane, only focusing on killing the brunette and everyone else in the room. No Sang to keep her stable. She grabbed hold of the younger superhuman and held her neck, pushing her backwards right above the mutagen globe. If she fell in, then goodbye humanity, no offense to the others. The others noticed this and tried to run to help, but were blocked by their respective foes, and Donnie kept busy against Shredder.

"Aww…are you scared, Doggett?" Farrah cooed, her hot breath irritating Cheyloe's neck and eyes. "Was the little boy this scared when he faced death head-on? How do you like that fear?"

That sent Chey in a rage. With a growl, she shot forward and head-butted Farrah in the chin. Regaining her footing, she grabbed the older superhuman and forced her over the mutagen, one hand holding her shirt and the other pointing her pistol at her stomach. Her eyes instantly heated up, and she gave Farrah the hottest glare imaginable.

"I…am not…afraid of you ANYMORE!"

With that declaration, another blast of fire hit Farrah in the face, and she gasped when a bullet went clear through her abdomen. Both hands went to her stomach, a vain attempt to stop the bleeding, before Cheyloe let her go and allowed her to fall backwards.

Shredder and Farrah both screamed on the way down before plummeting into the mutagen below. The liquid bubbled for a moment, then went still, leaving everyone holding their breaths in anticipation. Would anything happen? Donnie hovered over the liquid and looked for any signs of life. As much as he wanted to believe that they would be all right, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

"Is it over?" Mikey asked in hesitation.

A few seconds later, a rumble from an unknown source, probably from the fight outside, shook the laboratory, strong enough to shake the tubes of DNA samples Baxter collected from their shelves into the mutagen globe. The damaged Shredder mutants, losing balance and too weak to steady themselves, also took a dive into the mutagen. The only threats safe from plummeting were Tiger Claw and Stockman, who both fled for above ground. The Hamato Clan fought to keep their balance, dodging oncoming debris from the ceiling, and knew they had to leave now.

"Let's go! Everyone out, now!" Donnie commanded, jumping to the door and ushering everyone to safety.

Above ground, the Mutanimals, superhumans, and androids succeeded in taking out the rest of the Foot Bots and driving the Purple Dragons away. Now there was the matter of helping the Turtles and the others. Before Slash could lead the group inside Foot Headquarters, he saw his friends rushing out like mad, leaving him blinking in confusion. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but soon felt the same tremors they experienced in the lab below. The entire group backed away from the old church as it slowly crumbled underneath.

Half of the building became nothing but rubble…and then emerged a large, slender, metallic-clawed hand. Then another hand emerged, the arms followed, multiple deformed legs as well. It only got much more horrifying when a humongous, pulsating, cocoon-like body emerged, covered in metal carapace pieces and having a large slit in the top middle. Finally, a head and humanlike torso came attached to the body, or rather two heads forcibly mashed into one. One half of the head looked like the badly-burned likeness of the Shredder, and the other half represented the mad image of Farrah Rosenberg. The creature, a grotesque amalgamation of the two and multiple mutants, let out a deafening screech that echoed across the city.

"Oh my God…" April croaked, suppressing the urge to vomit.

How could this possibly get any worse?

* * *

 **What a twist! Shredder and Farrah ended being mutated together into a monstrosity! I'll probably end up putting a drawing of this mutant on my dA or Tumblr account, but I will say I got inspiration from the monster Pandora from the game Revelations: Persona. Let me tell you, that thing will give you nightmares. Now our heroes must destroy this mutant and save the city once and for all. Will they win? Or will the Shredder/Farrah mutant be too much? Well, stay tuned for the conclusion and epilogue of Turtle Dove!**


	47. Endgame, Part 3

**Author's Note: And here we have the final part of Endgame, and the chapter before the last of Turtle Dove! With the Shredder/Farrah mutant on the loose, one of our heroes comes up with a plan that, unless the others act quickly, could be the end of him! The final battle comes to its conclusion, so read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 47: Endgame, Part 3

"Is that Shredder and Farrah…mutated together!?"

Donatello shared Leonardo's shock, his eyes locked onto the humongous creature shrieking at the night sky. Yes, in stating the obvious, that creature was a mutated combination of Shredder and Farrah. It shouldn't have been that huge, however; what made it the size of the Mega-Shredder? Them alone, the combination should have been as tall as, maybe taller than Tiger Claw or Slash. It shouldn't look this disgusting, either. Then the genius turtle remembered what went in the mutagen after the two took a dip.

"Yeah, them together…along with three Shredder mutants and who-knows-how-many tubes of DNA samples." Donnie replied shakily. "It's the Justin incident all over again, only much worse!"

Raphael's shoulders slumped and his lips pressed into a scowl. "Great, now we got another mindless giant about to destroy the city! What else is new!?"

Michelangelo decided to chime in, pointing at the giant amalgamation. "You know what would be even worse? If it was just acting like it's mindless and still has their minds! That would be worse that it being brainless!"

All of them prayed Mikey didn't jinx things with that theory. Mindless creatures like Justin and the Mega-Shredder were hard enough to deal with, but this…whatever it was being able to think and coordinate any attacks? Yeah, that would be worse. All of them knew they needed answers to two questions: what was this thing capable of and how would they stop it? If they had the Turtle Mech with them, maybe they would have a chance. They had no time to get to Donnie's lab, however, and they had to think fast as the creature stomped in their direction and let out a low hiss. They instantly backed away…but the only one who didn't seem to get the message was the suddenly-appearing Baxter Stockman.

"No! My-My lab iz-z-z-z destroyed again! And all my samples came together into…" The irate fly mutant buzzed his way into the behemoth mutant's face, not caring about the irritated expression slowly forming in its features. "That'z-z-z-z-z it! No more cowering down! I've been pushed too far for too long! You've ruined everything I've worked hard towardz-z-z-z!"

Donnie noticed a change in the creature, and spoke up, "Uh, Baxter, you might want to stop-"

Baxter kept on with his angry rant, and if he paid attention he would've seen the slit in the mutant's pulsating body gradually opening up. The Turtles and their family and friends watched in horror as a tongue-like appendage shot out and wrapped around the stunned fly mutant, and two more tongues ensnared the down Xever and Hun. Baxter let out buzzing pleas for help, reaching for his former enemies, but it was all for naught when he and his fellow captives were pulled into the slit. All their cries were finally silenced; the only sound that came was the creature's body shuddering from consuming its victims. Then…it laughed. The giant mutant actually laughed in a low, meshed mess of Shredder and Farrah's voices. Mikey jinxed it.

"That fly always got on my nerves." The creature spoke, the fused faces of Shredder and Farrah grinning darkly. Its scattered eyes locked on to the group below, seeing all the people responsible for its mutation and ruined schemes. "They don't provide much…but the rest of you will give me so much more. Just hold still…and it will be quick and _painless_."

Karai's eyes widened. "You want to absorb us to gain power!?" She drew her tanto and pointed it at the mutant. "No! That won't happen! You're not getting ANY of us!"

The creature suddenly started reaching for the kunoichi, only for it to stop and attempt to pull back. It then tried to reach for the superhumans, pulling back once again. The fused faces of Shredder and Farrah glared at each other, but still spoke in unison.

"What are you doing!? You're still obsessed with that little twat!?" Farrah's face complained.

Shredder's face glared back. "She is still mine! Hamato Yoshi is still alive! I will not rest until his blood in on my hand!"

The Farrah half snarled, "No! We should destroy this place! Take revenge on the people who made us look like fools!"

"We must destroy the Hamato Clan!" The Shredder half retaliated.

Not sure of what to say or do, just like everyone else, Casey was the first to ask, "What's goin' on? Why's it arguin' with itself?"

The purple-masked turtle examined the giant mutant still in conflict with itself and noticed the Shredder/Farrah body's expressions. Each time a statement was made, each side would fluctuate between acting in sync and acting independently. "The mutation may have merged their bodies, but it didn't fully merge their minds. The instability of the mutation makes them switch between being unified mentally and both sides acting in conflict with each other. We could use this to our advantage!"

"What about the leftover retromutagen?" April suggested. "Would it work?"

"I'm not sure small doses will work anymore, especially not knowing what kind of samples fell in with them." Donnie admitted quietly. "If we can't de-mutate them…we just have to destroy them."

In the middle of their discussion, the Shredder/Farrah mutant finally stopped its arguing and focused its eyes on Donatello. That was when the Farrah half cooked up an idea, and the Shredder half only glared at the genius turtle. What was the one commonality in their recent misery? Who was the one person they could agree on destroying? The one they currently had their eyes on, of course. The grudge against Splinter combined with the need to destroy humans got pushed to the side for a moment in favor of that one turtle wearing a purple mask.

"Why not make a compromise and take out Donatello first?" Farrah's half negotiated, pointing a finger at the turtle in question. "He caused misery for both of us…then we can deal with the rest."

Shredder's half gave a huff. "Fine. We actually agree on something."

Donnie immediately stepped back, but suddenly found himself shielded by his friends and family. Even as worn as they were, they were ready to fight this amalgamation just to defend him. He couldn't let them throw their lives away for his sake; he had to come up with a way to defeat this thing. As he dwelled on his plan, Mikey stepped up and threateningly flashed the blade on his kurisagama.

"You're not getting our brother, Shredarrah!" Mikey shouted triumphantly.

A pause entered the fray. Raph was the first to speak up, " _Shredarrah_?"

The orange-masked turtle only sighed, "What else did you want me to call it? Fredder? Like, 'oh, look out, here comes Fredder'! Shredarrah's much more threatening!"

The other Turtles mulled over that, despite knowing it was too ridiculous to mull over, until Leo declared, "All right, we can agree on that. Now come on, we have to find a way to stop it!"

Shredarrah immediately sought to devour Donatello, but a ring of gunshots halted its plan. It turned and saw Cheyloe pointing her pistol at it, and found several bullets embedded in its skin like annoying ticks. The bullets sunk into its body and disappeared, leaving no marks on its skin, much to the brunette's horror. A second later, a tessen sliced into one of the legs, then Karai's tanto, several kunai from Splinter, and shuriken from several directions. Slash wounds were present…until they slowly sealed up and disappeared into nonexistence. Shredarrah cackled at the revelation before revealing what happened to it during the futile attacks: it sprouted three new sets of legs. Fly legs, scaly fish-like legs, and human legs, all reminiscent of its assimilated victims.

"First it can regenerate, and now it's growing new body parts!?" Cheyloe cried out. "How is it doing this!?"

"Whatever DNA samples fell in with Shredder and Farrah, one of them was likely starfish DNA! Lizards such as geckos and iguana are also possible contributors!" Donnie paused to throw an exploding shuriken at the creature and watch it hit near the slit. "We'll have to be sure to destroy it completely; no leaving even a piece of skin behind!"

Rockwell decided to say his piece, "Could that creature truly regenerate from a mere piece of flesh?"

"I'm not sure, and I really don't want to find out!" It was at that moment something formulated in Donnie's head. When that shuriken exploded, he noticed that it caused considerable pain because it was right next to that slit in its body. His memories went back to the Mega-Shredder, and how its weakness was the Shredder-body attached to its tongue. So if the possible weakness of Shredarrah wasn't the Shredder/Farrah body controlling it, then perhaps it was located inside the slit. "I have an idea. Fugitoid!"

"Donnie, wait!"

Chey attempted to stop him, but stopped when one of Shredarrah's mangled legs attempted to kick her. A few shots did nothing, and she found herself being saved by a still-weakened Anna. With both of them secure, Kaitlyn hoisted a large piece of debris from the fallen Foot HQ and lobbed it at the mutant, sending it into a rage. Soon the Mutanimals joined in at attempting to overwhelm the creature, but Shredarrah knocked them into several buildings with one good swipe of its large, clawed hands. So dead-set on eliminating its enemies, the creature paid no heed to Donatello reaching the Fugitoid, who stood holding a hunched-over Casey.

"Fugitoid!" Donnie bolted to the android, shocked when he noticed Casey gritting his teeth and clutching his abdomen. The turtle placed his hand on the hockey player's shoulder and asked, "Casey, what's wrong?"

"He's torn open his wounds. He should have been taken home after exposing Farrah!" Fugitoid decided to end his scolding in order to re-stitch the stab wound in Casey's stomach, though it would be a painful process.

Donnie shared in examining his friend, until he remembered why he came looking for the android. "Fugitoid, do you have any of those bombs left?"

The android blinked, but motioned for Andromeda to bring him something. Sure enough, when the female android came forward, she produced a final bomb in front of Donatello. "Yes, but there aren't any distributors left, Donatello. Why do you need this?" Fugitoid inquired.

The genius turtle only swiped the device from Andromeda before reaching for Casey's belt and lifting several photon pucks. He pulled several pieces of cord and duct tape from his belt and haphazardly put the devices together, much to the horror of Fugitoid. As a finishing touch, he added the unused retromutagen vials from his own stash and collected from his friends to the mix. Despite the protests of the androids and Casey, he put together a makeshift bomb with much more power…enough power needed to take down Shredarrah and keep it down.

"There! Now all I need to do is plant this thing where it won't leave even a cell behind." Donnie turned to the roaring Shredarrah and stared directly at the slit in the middle of its cocoon-body. "If I don't make it out alive, look out for my family and tell Cheyloe I'll always love her."

Before Fugitoid or Casey or anyone else could hope to stop him, Donnie used his grappling gun to launch himself to the top of a building closer to the rampaging mutant. He had the powered-up bomb carefully tucked under his other arm and studied how exactly he would reach the slit and get in without getting assimilated. He had to get in without getting attacked by that tongue-appendage, and that's when he remembered when he launched the shuriken: when it hit near the slit, it opened up slightly as though it cried in pain. That's it! A confident smirk on his lips, Donnie put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

"Hey, Shredarrah!" Donnie cried, pausing when the mutant turned to gaze upon him. "You want me!? Come get me!"

Leo took notice and immediately shouted, "Donnie, what're you doing!?"

Donnie ignored him, only standing still and watching Shredarrah stomping madly towards him. Just a little closer…a little more…and NOW! The purple-masked turtle made a leap of faith and launched another exploding shuriken, once again in close proximity of the slit. It hit its target, and the slit opened up enough for him to fall into, disappearing into a mound of flesh and darkness as the exit closed. Everyone else stood shell-shocked and wondered why Donnie would do such a thing. The prospect of him being gone, maybe absorbed into that creature, left many of them in tears, especially April and Cheyloe.

"Donnie!" Chey shouted in vain. Her grief quickly evaporated, leaving only anger at the creature towering above them. With a scream, she fired shot after shot, threw needle after needle, while continuously shouting, "Give him back! Give him BACK!"

Shredarrah stared down at the brunette and the rest of the grieving bunch, leaning forward and uttering a callous chuckle. "He must have a death wish if he willingly let me swallow him. But don't be so sad…you'll be joining him _very soon_."

* * *

Donatello coughed and hoped whatever he swallowed wasn't Shredarrah's bodily fluids. The more he coughed, though, the harder it was to breathe in here; hardly any oxygen that would allow him more than a few minutes. On his feet, he took note of where he was and the composition: fleshy walls coupled with pulsating veins and a nauseating stench permeating the air. He choked back bile in his throat and began a quick trek to find the weakness of this thing. The heart, an inner brain, anything that this bomb could destroy. Once he took a moment to glance around, however, his face paled and he started regretting his hotshot plan.

Embedded in the fleshy walls were the halfway-digested bodies of Baxter Stockman, Fishface, and Hun. No use in trying to rescue them; they were dead the moment they were brought in here. Still, he didn't want his enemies to meet an end like this, even if they deserved it. If he wasn't careful and quick, he would be in the same shape…he had to hurry forward. He made sure the bomb remained secure before heading further into the fleshy tomb, seeing patches of metal scattered throughout and trembles in the veins above. Good thing Mikey wasn't here, or the poor guy would have nightmares for months. Donnie suddenly found himself gasping for breath, a sign he had to hurry. Only a few steps further, and Donnie found a very gruesome sight…and perhaps the key needed in destroying Shredarrah.

A giant cyst-like object stood, encasing the upper bodies of Oroku Saki and Farrah Rosenberg themselves. Both had their eyes barely opened, but he feared they were aware of his presence. So if the Shredder/Farrah body atop this place wasn't controlling things…maybe the torsos here were. He quickly pulled out the bomb and prepared to set it when the torsos gazed upon him, making him jump back.

"You are foolish, Donatello." They continued to speak in unison, though the voices fluctuated for a split-second. "You can never be free of me! Even if you destroy my body, my-our spirits-will live on and haunt you! The Hamato Clan…humans…will never be safe from our wrath!"

Donnie glared at the two and spat back, "You're wrong! There's more than one way to eradicate a plague, even if it means someone has to go down trying!"

"You mutants…you of the Hamato Clan are a plague!" Shredder's body shouted, much to the Farrah body's chagrin. "You deserve to be erased for what you did to the Foot Clan…MY CLAN!"

"No! I get to eliminate him!" Farrah's body argued. "He ruined my schemes of bringing more superhumans into existence! He ruined my chances of overthrowing those bigoted humans!"

The two continued bickering, and it affected the body outside; Donnie could hear the two halves argue externally. He could only shake his head before placing the bomb between them in the midst of their shouting match. Before their minds could merge back into unison, he stepped back and casually spoke, "You know…you two are _really_ bad for each other. I think you two need a permanent time-out."

Seeing Donnie pull out another exploding shuriken, the Shredder and Farrah bodies suddenly writhed, causing some of the veins to detach from the fleshy walls and start slithering for the turtle. He quickly unsheathed his Bo staff and brought out the naginata blade, quickly slicing away some of the veins before they could even touch him. He started to bolt, forgetting the bomb for a split-second, before a vein ensnared his leg and dragged him back. However, Donnie sliced the vein away and got back to fleeing. He turned back around and readied himself to throw the shuriken, ending the creature and possibly himself once and for all, when a light appeared from above caught his attention.

"Donatello!"

The slit opened up to reveal his brothers, April, and Cheyloe forcing it open. A few veins and a tongue shot out at them, only to be caught in bursts of flames from the brunette and exploding shurikens. The brunette jumped down to meet up with him, only for a vein to grab her and violently squeeze and twist her right leg. Her cry of pain was enough to make Donnie's heart speed up.

"Cheyloe! Hold on!" Donnie rushed forward and slashed away the veins trying to squeeze the life out of the brunette. He hoisted her onto his shell and shot his grappling gun for the edge of the slit opening, thankful that his brothers secured it. As he slowly pulled himself and Chey up, he glanced back at the roaring Shredder and Farrah bodies before pulling his arm back and flinging several of his remaining explosive shuriken. A final vein attempted to shoot right for Donnie's head, but Cheyloe quickly drew her gun and fired a few bullets into it, making it explode. Now their path of escape was clear, but would they escape what was about to happen?

The Shredder and Farrah bodies' eyes widened when the weapons hit the bomb, and the last thing they saw was a cloud of flames and explosive force. The effect slowly spread throughout the rest of the inner body, until it finally caused the external body to shriek and explode. The explosion rocked part of the city, enough for the citizens outraged at Farrah to notice and gawk over, and a billowing tower of smoke was all that remained of the large mutant.

The smoke cleared, revealing the Turtles and their family and friends surrounded by a golden-hued orb of energy, the debris from the explosion harmlessly bouncing off. When they looked to see who produced it, they found themselves shocked to see it was April…with assistance from Anna, of course. The orb dissipated a moment later, leaving April collapsed on her knees, and Anna hunched over gasping for air. Donatello coughed and got to his knees, thankful they got down in time before the explosion could consume them, but found himself aware of a new issue.

"Cheyloe!" Donnie held her up, and she cringed the moment her leg was jostled. His expression dropped and he murmured, "Cheyloe, you saved me back there…you wouldn't be hurt if it weren't for me!"

Right before passing out from the pain and shock from the explosion, Chey laughed and declared, "Well…people do stupid things when they're in love, you know?"

With a sigh, Donnie started hoisting her back on his shell when a green fist collided with his shoulder. "Ow! What was that for, Raph!?"

"That had to be th' craziest, stupidest stunt you've ever pulled, Donatello!" Raph took a few deep breaths as his fists slowly unclenched and found himself wrapping his arms around his brother, "But that stupid move saved th' city. Ya did it, Donnie…ya saved everybody."

"Dude, I can't believe you dived into that thing and blew it up from the inside!" Mikey scolded and praised at the same time, if such a thing were possible. "What was it like in there!? Was it like being inside the Mega Shredder!?"

Leo came up and checked over his brother, scanning him for injuries and prepping himself to give a lecture, "Donnie, while I congratulate you for destroying Shredarrah, you could've found a better method that didn't involve jumping inside it and almost getting yourself blown up. Do you know how worried you had us!?"

April, Casey, and Karai ran forward to envelop the genius turtle in a tight hug, almost stepping on the unconscious Cheyloe. The redhead sniveled as she murmured into his shoulder, "Don't EVER do that to us again, Donatello! We could've lost you again!"

"Ya almost gave us heart attacks, man!" Casey hiccupped, ignoring his burning, newly-mended wounds.

Karai found herself getting teary-eyed, much to her irritation. "Donatello…you're a genius and an idiot at the same time. You reckless, intelligent, scrawny-"

Splinter was next to step up, frowning at his second-youngest son as the others took the cue to break away. When Donnie opened his mouth to offer an apology and explanation, he found himself cut off when the rat leaned forward and wrapped him in his warm, strong arms. Anything Donnie wanted to say left his mind, and he could only close his eyes and lean into his father's embrace, feeling safe once again. He didn't get a lot of moments like this between him and Splinter, but he appreciated this one the most.

"My son…you have saved New York and perhaps the world as well." Splinter broke away and seized the opportunity to whack Donnie's shin with his cane. "But you used a highly-reckless method in doing so. Do not attempt to give me a stroke again!" His face once again softened, his lips breaking out into a smile, "I am proud of how brave and strong you've become, Donatello. You and your brothers."

"Thank you, Sensei…I just…thank you." Donnie diverted his attention back to Cheyloe, and he carefully picked her up in his arms and declared, "We need to get her to a hospital right now. I don't want her leg to be infected; who knows what kinds of bacteria were inside that thing!"

"We'll get 'er there." Kaitlyn declared, taking her friend from the turtle. "Even though Farrah's been exposed, th' people might still be wary of ya. Don't worry…we'll be careful."

Anna gave a reassuring smile to the genius turtle, "You should be able to sneak a visit, however."

Donnie smiled in return, though he felt a pang in his chest as he saw Cheyloe be carried off to the hospital. "Thank you…"

* * *

Cheyloe woke up to find herself staring at a white ceiling, surrounded by harsh fluorescent lights. Her head felt like it would explode, but she managed to slowly raise herself up and realize she was in the hospital. Instead of being on-duty, however, she quickly realized she was the patient. An IV was hooked into her right hand, and she glanced down to see her right leg in a cast, her toes exposed at the bottom. A table sat to the side and had an energy drink can, a Get Well Soon card, and a vase containing fresh flowers. The first question that ran through her head was how long she'd been here, and then she asked herself who could have brought her here.

"Hey, Sleepyhead." A voice greeted. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up."

The brunette turned her head to the window, and found none-other than Donatello sitting on the ledge, looking worn and very relieved. She looked for a moment to see if he was in the clear, and found relief when she saw the door was closed. With her fears set aside, she smiled when the turtle came over and gingerly kissed her forehead. "Donnie…are the flowers from you?"

Donnie gave a chuckle, "You like them? I had Karai go and bring them courtesy of me, but I had to agree to design her some new armor that wasn't associated with the Foot Clan. The card's from all of us."

"They're beautiful…I'm just glad I'm here to enjoy them." She paused and wiggled her exposed toes in her cast, "But I probably won't be getting around much for a while."

"I'm glad all of us are still here, even though we got some bumps and scrapes in the process. You saved me back there." Donnie suddenly cast his eyes away and murmured, "I don't know how I can repay you for everything you've done."

Cheyloe just gave him a tired smile, taking his hand and kissing his palm, "Donnie, we saved each, and in more ways than one. There's nothing to repay…what's important is that we're still alive. Besides, I think you managing to blow up Shredarrah counts for more than me shooting a living vein."

"Cheyloe…" The turtle suddenly went to turn on the TV, showing a live news conference in front of City Hall. "That's right, you need to see this. Listen…"

 _"…_ _Our forces have apprehended suspected criminals Anton Zeck and Ivan Steranko from the observation deck at the Chrysler Building. They've also recovered the remains of a large, dog-like mutant suspected of being an ally of Farrah Rosenberg and a man named Oroku Saki. At the Statue of Liberty, police have taken Luc Sauveterre into custody, but because of his unresponsive state, he has been sent to a psychiatric facility until he recovers and can answer questions. So far, Oroku Saki and Farrah Rosenberg's remains haven't been located. Right now, we are working on apprehending Farrah Rosenberg's staunchest supporters for terrorism across the city."_

The mayor of New York sighed and stared into the camera, remorse clearly written in his features along with the city council; he even had some embarrassment to go along with it. _"To the mutants who have saved our city, both from a war-baiter and that monstrous creature, on behalf of the entire city, I want to say thank you…and perhaps one day, we will earn your forgiveness for our foolish actions. I have hopes that one day, humans and mutants shall coexist peacefully and live as equals."_

The footage cut to the recorded scene of Shredarrah around the demolished Foot Headquarters, and they themselves engaging the creature. Another clip aired that showed Shredarrah being consumed in a fiery explosion, with the faint sounds of the citizens cheering heard in the background. The people cheered, yes, but would they just end up forgetting the accomplishment and go back to fearing mutants? They never got recognition for saving the city from the Kraang invasions or Triceraton invasions, so would this be any different? Maybe this was the step forward they needed to ensure mutant acceptance.

"Tiger Claw's still at large." Donnie added in, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. "With Shredder gone and Karai back with us, I don't think he'll try to revive the Foot anytime soon."

"So does that mean it's over?" Cheyloe wondered aloud.

The purple-masked turtle only shrugged, "Unless the Kraang or Triceratons decide to return unexpectedly, it's over."

The wooden door suddenly opened up with a knock, and Donnie only froze when he saw an older Asian woman step inside. "Cheyloe, are you awake-" The woman in doctor's garb halted when she noticed the turtle sitting on the bed, dropping her clipboard a split-second later. "C-Cheyloe, there's-"

The turtle and brunette glanced at each other, and the former cleared her throat. "Dr. Yeoh…" Chey began softly, "This is Donatello. He's one of the greatest people I met…and he saved my life more than once. He's the one who saved the city."

Donnie quietly got off the bed and took a careful step towards Dr. Yeoh. He almost backed off when the woman took a step away, but stood his ground and peacefully offered his hand. He searched the woman's eyes and definitely found uncertainty, which made his confidence waver for a second, making him debate on pulling his hand back. However, after a moment, the doctor slowly reached forward and took the mutant's hand with a shake, and all of Donnie's confidence came back with a bang.

"Hello…Donatello." The Asian woman greeted slowly, calming down at the same speed. "I-I'm Dr. Margaret Yeoh."

The genius turtle offered a gentle smile, "Chey's told me a lot about you. She's told me she deeply appreciates working under a wonderful doctor." With his smile widening, he added in, "I've saved her life…but she's saved my life more than once. That's why I want to show you that despite my, uh, physical appearance…I'm just like any other person in New York."

Dr. Yeoh gave Cheyloe a few-second glance, and turned back to Donatello, "…I wouldn't expect anything less from the one who saved New York."

While Donatello recounted the circumstances of his relationship with Cheyloe to Dr. Yeoh, his brothers waited on top of the roof and listened to the conversation. Though they would normally admonish him for exposing himself to another human, this was important. They had to show people that they were just like them, despite the differences in appearance. If they could start with just one person, then that would make their chances of acceptance even better. They chose that first person to be Dr. Yeoh…and Donnie was chosen to do the job.

After all the turmoil they went through, things were truly looking up.

* * *

 **So this is the last official chapter, but an epilogue is following shortly after this! Once this story's concluded, I'll be working on the sequel and finishing up more drabbles for Turtle Dove Tidbits. It'll have some drabbles that'll tell of events between this story and the upcoming sequel. Anyway, Shredarrah is defeated, and the Foot Clan has seemingly fallen, leaving our heroes at peace. Will this peace last, or will danger still head their way? You'll find out in the epilogue and the upcoming sequel!**


	48. Epilogue

**Author's Note: AND here's the epilogue of Turtle Dove, at last! This takes place one month after the last chapter, and everyone's in the mood for a celebration! Let's see how our heroes have done since defeating Shredarrah and how their relationships have been, including a growing relationship between a certain hothead and redheaded kunoichi-in-training. Read and review!**

* * *

Epilogue

 _One month later_

Donatello stood in front of the bathroom mirror and pressed his hands to his plastron with a sigh. What was once an open wound in his plastron, now became a large scar running from his left shoulder to the top of his right thigh. Even with the mutagenic medicine he took for weeks, a scar was expected, but he didn't expect one this big. A scar was much better than lying dead on the pavement, however. He no longer had to wear a protective vest, but it still felt awkward having such a blemish out in the open.

"Come on, D, pizza's here!" Michelangelo suddenly poked his head in the bathroom and saw his brother fixated on the mirror. "Dude, are you still worried about your scar? You've been mulling over it since the bandages came off."

The genius turtle's frown deepened. "I don't know, Mikey. I mean, when we first came to the surface, I figured Raph would be the only one with any real scars. But he still just has that chip in his plastron, and I've got _this_."

Mikey only blinked, but before Donnie could sigh and go back to staring in the mirror the orange-masked turtle wrapped his arm around his older brother's shoulders. "Donnie, dude, that scar's nothing to be ashamed up. You got that scare protecting the woman you love AND saving the Earth! So don't look at it as a flaw…" He waved his hand in front of Donnie's scar like a game-show host showcasing the grand prize and concluded, "Look at it as your badge of honor."

The purple-masked turtle stared back at the scar and traced his fingers over it. As much as it still hurt to look at, Mikey was right: this was his badge of honor. This scar reminded him of the sacrifice he was willing to make to save his loved ones, and save his home. It could no longer hold him back, and he wouldn't let it keep holding him back. He knew he had to stop loathing the scar; he had to wear it proudly. "Thanks, Mikey." Donnie replied softly. "You wouldn't happen to be taking pep-talk lessons from Cheyloe, would you?"

"Hmm, maybe." Mikey teased with a laugh. "Now come on, let's get some pizza!"

In the main area of the lair, Leonardo carried a stack of pizza boxes to the seating area while Raphael busied himself with bringing packs of soda. Out of the kitchen came April, who carried paper plates and napkins over to the folding tables set up nearby. Since the kitchen didn't have enough seats, they had to make accommodations. The others would be over shortly, and all were eager to take a bite out of the piping-hot pizza already. Once Donnie and Mikey entered the fray, the others decided to take a break.

"So, when will everyone else arrive?" Donnie asked curiously.

"Casey'll be here any minute; he just got back from the doctor. The ladies left early so they'd get here on time. Karai-I mean, Miwa…I don't know if she's back home yet from Japan or not." Leo explained, getting out his T-Phone and checking his messages for any updates. "The Mutanimals have a mission, so we'll bring a couple of boxes over to their warehouse."

Mikey grabbed for one of the pizza boxes, but Raph took notice and swiftly slapped his brother's hand away. "Not 'till everyone else gets here." He warned.

It was then Splinter stepped out of the dojo. Instead of wearing his usual robes, the rat came out sporting a new montsuki, though it looked like he still had to get used to the hakama trousers due to his tail. The gift came from Anna, and they all learned that she knew a thing or two about designing clothes; the silk even had the Hamato emblem stitched in it. The hole in his trousers for his tail was a last-minute decision, and seemed painful on Anna's part for some reason. Splinter gave a smile and walked to the table, his cane tapping with each step.

"It looks like everything has been set up, my children." Splinter mused, standing next to Leo with pride. "Are our guests arriving soon?"

"Yeah, but still no word on Miwa." Raph replied before giving a snort, "Y'know, it feels weird not calling her Karai anymore. Guess it's 'cause that's how we've always known her."

"The name Karai made her feel that she would still be linked to Saki. Going back to her birth name is a way for her to reconnect with her true heritage, instead of continuing to be Saki's shadow." The rat explained, glancing towards the dojo and thinking of the photo he always kept of his human self, Tang Shen, and baby Miwa. Now with that photo, he accompanied it with a photo of his current self and his new family, complete with his now-grown daughter. A part of him wished Tang Shen was still here to see their family-their clan-begin anew, but he knew that she still watched over them in spirit. Though Miwa remained a mutant, she no longer felt a need to rush Donatello for a cure; she found her mutant abilities quite useful and used them to her advantage. Splinter no longer felt he had to guard himself around her due to the predator/prey relationship of their mutant forms; she wouldn't hurt him.

The turnstiles clicked, and the group saw the one-and-only Casey Jones saunter into the lair, giving a wave and a click of his tongue. "Casey Jones is in th' house an' cleared by th' doctor!"

Raph immediately came up and smacked the lanky human's shoulder. "All right, Puckhead! I've been missin' bashing heads with ya! Somebody's gotta help me clean up the last of Shredder's goons and Farrah's fanatics, and I've got tired of Mikey talkin' my ear off!" The red-masked turtle ignored his baby brother taking offense at the comment to lead his friend to the table, "We'll be ready in a bit; just gotta wait for everyone else!"

While Raph dragged the babbling Casey over to the table of pizza and soda, he glanced over at April before giving her a quick wink and grin, making the redhead giggle. April herself also looked ready for the occasion; her hair draped over her shoulder and her upper back instead of being in its usual ponytail. There would've been one more person joining in their celebration, but she was still in the process of forgiving what he did. Maybe once all the anger wore off, she and the others could feel comfortable having her father back in the lair…but no need to let that ruin the day. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her sunshine-yellow coat and started following after the turtle and hockey player when another voice caught her and the others' attention.

"Hey, we're here!" The familiar voice chirped, "We're not late, are we?"

Donnie turned his head and felt a smile brighten his face. "Cheyloe, you ladies made it!"

Indeed, there were Cheyloe, Anna, and Kaitlyn, the first hobbling to the turnstiles on crutches and keeping her right leg lifted. Chey came in sporting a new coat and freshly-cut bangs, Anna sported a purple cardigan and hair in a bun, and Kaitlyn combed her curly mess of hair and carried a glass bowl with plastic wrap on it. Before Chey could attempt to cross through the turnstiles, Donnie was right there to stop her.

"Hold up, Chey!" The genius turtle immediately handed her crutches to Anna before scooping her up in his strong arms. "Your chariot is here!"

"Donnie, I got my cast stuck in the turnstiles ONE time! I'm fine, honest!" The brunette protested, despite the grin on her face.

Kaitlyn suddenly held up the bowl in her hands, "I hope ya bums are ready for some Ambrosia salad, courtesy 'a Chef Liesman!"

Mikey's eyes immediately brightened and he rushed over to grab the bowl. "Ambrosia salad!? Aw Kaitlyn, you're the best!"

With everyone congregating in the main area and chatting up a storm, no one paid heed to a long mass of scales slithering behind the turnstiles, or the low hiss echoing around the tunnels. Well, a certain brunette's nose immediately twitched, and her eyes immediately went over to the spot near the turnstiles. "You're not fooling anyone, you know." She deadpanned, "You can come join the party, too, _Miwa_."

A grunt came out of the slithering creature before being replaced by the sounds of bones and tissue shifting into new form. There at the turnstiles stood Karai…or rather, Miwa now. The blonde dye in the back part of her hair slowly faded with her hair growing out, and the red and black kunoichi makeup no longer presented itself on her face, being replaced by faint black eyeliner. With her body back in its human form, the serpentine kunoichi casually flipped her hair off her shoulders and flashed a smirk. She watched the others start welcoming her back, asking her how her trip was, and she swore she saw Casey give her a lecherous grin. Besides that minor detail, it was good to be home.

"So, what's the news?" Leo asked eagerly, "Any sightings of Tiger Claw? What about any other Foot Clan members?"

Miwa shook her head and sighed, "Tiger Claw's still at large. Any Foot members based in Japan, I told them that Shredder is dead and the clan should be wise to disband. Other than that, I caught up with some old friends and cleared my head of any connections with… _him_."

"Shredder is dead, Miwa." Splinter reprimanded sternly, "Do not keep his spirit alive with your doubts. As long as you do not let him continue having control over you, you have nothing to fear."

Miwa glanced away; it was clear she remained uncertain about keeping her former identity as Shredder's daughter at-bay. To keep it from spoiling the cheerful atmosphere, she added, "I also wanted to add that Fugitoid's little helper followed me here, but Fugitoid's not with her." She stepped aside and added with a waggle of her eyebrows, "She specifically wished to talk to you, Leo."

Leo immediately blushed, both from his sister's insinuation and none-other than Andromeda appearing from the tunnels. Still stone-faced as ever, he could see. "Andromeda, where's Fugitoid? Isn't he joining the party?"

Andromeda shook her head, absentmindedly reaching up to tuck a strawberry-blonde lock behind her 'ear'. "My father has decided to join the Utroms in Dimension X. He will help them to ensure the Kraang stay there and do not harm your planet again…and he is preparing things, in case the Triceratons decide to return." She calmly walked up to Leonardo, not noticing his sudden awkwardness, and concluded, "He wishes for me to remain on Earth and learn your customs. Since Leonardo is leader of your group, I shall learn from him. Is that all right, Leonardo?"

"O-Oh, uh, yeah! Y-Yeah, that's perfectly fine!" The blue-masked turtle stuttered, scratching the back of his neck and chuckling, "I-I'll teach you everything you need to know! In fact, you made a good choice because, well, I'm an expert on Earth culture. I just don't like to brag about it much."

Everyone else stared at Leo suddenly giving Andromeda a cool grin and putting on airs; he used to pull the 'be cool and don't screw this up' façade with Miwa back before he knew she was Splinter's daughter. A moment later, they laughed, much to Leo's embarrassment, until Mikey clapped his hands.

"Hey, enough stalling! Let's party already!"

It only took five minutes for everyone to break out the pizza, soda, and Ambrosia salad. Michelangelo blasted loud hip-hop from the stereo system and had to be reprimanded three times by the sensitive-eared Splinter, but that didn't deter the freckled turtle. Leo already sat down with Andromeda and started giving her a course in Earth Customs 101, the android hanging on every word he said. While Anna decided to dance to the music alongside Raph and April, Miwa watched with glee as Casey had his butt mercilessly whipped by Kaitlyn in an arm-wrestling match. Lesson of the day: never challenge a person with super-strength to an arm-wrestling match.

"It's funny…just a month ago, we were fighting to save New York from Shredder and Farrah. Now here we are partying in the lair like we don't have a care in the world."

Donatello and Cheyloe sat at the table watching everyone else when the former brought up the statement. Chey had a trail of cheese going from her mouth to the pizza slice she held, and when she caught Donnie's laughter she quickly cleaned up before thinking of his words. It was true; just a month ago they were in the fight for their lives against two psychopaths, and now here they were celebrating finally being at peace. But it wasn't just the struggle last month; for two years, they all went through turmoil, but came out strong as ever. Kraang invasions, Triceratons threatening to destroy the world, anti-mutant movements threatening to destroy their very family…they didn't come out unscathed, but they came out with stronger resolves and stronger bonds.

"To think…all this started when I found you badly beaten on a rooftop." Chey mused, placing a gentle hand on Donnie's shoulder and watching him clasp it. "Funny how things went from there, huh?"

"Yeah…but I'm glad it happened. I mean, I'm not glad I got beaten up, but I'm glad that I got to meet you because of it." The genius turtle smiled widely, reaching over to ruffle Chey's hair, and add, "If it weren't for you, I would've either died then or died at Mozar's hands. I'm sorry I hadn't said it sooner…but thank you, Cheyloe. Thank you for saving my life twice."

The brunette gave him a slightly-quivering smile. "I should be thanking you, too. If it hadn't been for you, I don't I would've ever began the healing process from what happened to Embry. Actually, I don't think I would've had the courage to open my heart up to someone…and I'm glad that person ended up being you. Thank you for that, Donatello…thank you so, so much."

The moment he saw her put down her slice of pizza, Donnie swooped in and scooped Cheyloe into his arms, making her yelp in surprise. He stood on his feet and kept hold of her, glancing down and looking her right in the eyes, and a playful smile graced his lips, putting the brunette at ease. Donnie was careful not to bump her cast into anything and set off a jolt of pain, so he maneuvered the both of them carefully away from the table and mess of chairs until they were right next to the stream of water in front of the dojo. By this time, the others noticed the sudden display and halted so they could watch and figure out what would happen. The smile on Donnie's lips told them they had nothing to worry about, however.

"Donnie, what're you doing, exactly?" Chey asked in a low voice.

The genius turtle chuckled and brought his face closer to hers, breathing in her scent as he answered, "Just taking in how gorgeous you look right now."

Chey opened and closed her mouth several times like a suffocating fish as a blush flared across her cheeks. Before she could get Donnie to iterate his remark, the genius turtle immediately pelted her face with kiss after kiss. At first she was shocked, but her shock turned to joy and laughter poured out of her mouth.

"Donnie, stop, that tickles!" She sputtered out.

Raph and April paid close attention to the scene, and the latter found herself casually resting her head on the former's shoulder. Aside from Donnie and Chey's behavior, it became obvious to the family that things were also changing between the red-masked turtle and the redhead, more-so since their battle with Shredarrah ended. The change was so obvious that it would be assumed both duos were courting each other. That was why Raph and April found amusement in watching Donnie smooch Chey like a love-struck turtle would. The red-masked turtle had a hope inside that pretty soon…that would be him and April. Not that he would let the rest of his family know that. Little did he know, the feeling was picked up on by the redhead in question, thanks to her ever-present empathetic powers, and proved to be mutual on her part.

Inside Donnie's room, a small hand reached out and touched the turtle dove charm hanging from the bed post. The child the hand belonged to suddenly got up from his seat and walked to the woman accompanying him. Both stared at the charm, the growing number of photos on the desk mixed with pages of notes, and the closed laptop with reassured smiles. They were happy with the growing positivity in the lair, and the hearts of the occupants slowly healing from all the trials they endured. What they knew now was that their job was done at last, and they were ready to move on.

"Did we do a good job?" Embry asked innocently.

Tang Shen chuckled and picked the boy up, holding him close to her bosom. "Yes we did, my child. They'll be all right now…we can rest in peace."

"I'll miss Donnie and Chey, but I'm happy they're okay now." The boy noted, pressing his face into the woman's shoulder. "That's all I wanted."

"As did I. They will be fine, and so will my Yoshi and my Miwa. Their family is strong, and even though our work is done, we can still watch over them until we are reunited." Shen hugged the boy, running her hand through his messy hair, and concluded, "It's time we went, Embry."

Tang Shen and Embry closed their eyes, and as quickly as they appeared in the room, they were gone, leaving the charm swaying softly from the change of atmosphere in the room. The photograph on the desk was the same as the new photograph decorating the dojo: the image of the growing Hamato Clan. They would experience new adventures, and more than likely they would face old foes. One thing was for sure…they would face any new trials as a family. A family made _whole._

* * *

 **And there you have it! Turtle Dove is officially completed! Now don't be sad, my audience! You'll be seeing plenty more drabbles in "Turtle Dove Tidbits", and I'm already working on a sequel! I really want to thank all my reviewers for giving me great reviews; they've helped me keep writing! I also deeply appreciate the great reviews left on some of my other recent stories! Thank you all once again for reading my story and reviewing it!**

 **I also want to announce I'm working on yet another story, this one also Donnie-centered. I may have this one under a beta-reader, and I've decided to call it "Transcendental". So be geared up for that, more drabbles, and the upcoming "Turtle Dove 2"!**


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